CORN  BOOK 

for 

YOUNG  FOLK 


WILLIAMS  AND  HILL 


ai    'i 


CORN  BOOK  FOR 
YOUNG  FOLK 


BY 


CHARLES  BURGESS  WILLIAMS 

DEAN    OF   AGRICULTURE,    NORTH    CAROLINA    STATE 
COLLEGE   OF  AGRICULTURE  AND   ENGINEERING 


AND 


DANIEL  HARVEY  HILL 

EX-PRESIDENT   NORTH    CAROLINA   STATE   COLLEGE 
OF  AGRICULTURE  AND   ENGINEERING 


GINN  AND  COMPANY 

BOSTON  •  NEW  YORK  •  CHICAGO  •  LONDON 
ATLANTA  •  DALLAS  •  COLUMBUS  •  SAN  FRANCISCO 


COPYRIGHT,  1920,  BY  CHARLES  BURGESS  WILLIAMS 

AND  DANIEL  HARVEY  HILL 

ALL  RIGHTS   RESERVED 


GINN  AND  COMPANY  •  PRO- 
PRIETORS •  BOSTON  •  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

If  a  young  farmer  can  be  led  to  acquire  skill  in 
growing  one  crop,  he  will  unquestionably  apply  the 
principles  that  brought  success  in  the  one  crop  to 
all  his  other  crops.  The  authors  of  this  book,  there- 
fore, think  it  best  not  to  confuse  the  mind  of  a 
beginner  by  a  discussion  of  all  the  standard  crops, 
but  rather  to  teach  the  general  principles  of  crop 
growing  through  their  application  to  a  specific  crop. 
The  fundamental  principles,  like  seed  selection,  the 
preparation  of  a  seed  bed,  tillage,  rotation  of  crops, 
and  control  of  moisture,  are  practically  the  same  for 
all  crops.  The  unessential  differences,  like  methods 
of  planting  or  harvesting,  are  easily  acquired.  Corn 
was  selected  because  it  is  almost  universally  grown 
in  our  country. 

One  of  the  serious  obstacles  to  the  classroom 
study  of  a  standard  crop  is  that  timely  illustrative 
material  cannot  usually  be  secured.  The  teaching 
of  the  lesson  cannot  be  made  to  correspond  to  the 
seeding,  cultivation,  or  growth  of  the  crop.  The 
necessities  of  the  school  often  require  the  class  to 
be  studying  the  root  system  of  a  plant  when  the 
snow  is  on  the  ground  or  its  flowers  when  the  plant 
itself  is  being  harvested.    To  obviate  this  difficulty 


iv       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

the  authors  have  centered  much  of  the  teaching 
around  carefully  selected  photographs  which  with 
absolute  timeliness  illustrate  almost  as  clearly  as 
natural  objects  do. 

Hearty  thanks  for  illustrations  are  accorded  to 
the  following:  Bureau  of  Crop  Estimates,  Office  of 
Corn  Investigations,  Office  of  Farm  Management, 
and  Office  of  Acclimatization  and  Adaptation  of 
Crop  Plants  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture ;  to  the  Kansas  and  North  Carolina 
State  Departments  of  Agriculture ;  to  the  North 
Carolina  Hall  of  History;  to  the  Experiment  Sta- 
tions of  Arkansas,  Georgia,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Kansas, 
Kentucky,  Massachusetts,  Minnesota,  Missouri, 
Montana,  Nebraska,  New  York,  North  Carolina, 
North  Dakota,  Tennessee,  and  Virginia;  to  the 
Agricultural  Gazette  of  Nezv  South  Wales,  Farm 
Business,  and  Ohio  Farmer  \  to  the  American  Seed- 
ing Machine  Company,  S.  L.  Allen  and  Company, 
Deere  and  Company,  Dunham  Company,  Eureka 
Mower  Company,  Ginn  and  Company,  International 
Harvester  Company,  Rock  Island  Railway,  Roderick 
Lean  Company,  and  S.  W.  Wilkinson  and  Brother. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Importance  of  Corn  Crop i 

II.  The  Beginning  of  the  Corn  Crop     ....  9 

III.  Climate  and  the  Corn  Crop 17 

IV.  Race.s  of  Corn 31 

V.  The  Growing  Plant 45 

VI.  Markings  of  Good  Seed  Ears 61 

VII.  Markings  of  Good  Seed  Ears  (Continued)  .     .  78 

VIII.  Place  and  Manner  of  selecting  Seed   .          .  93 

IX.  Storing  the  Seed 113 

X.  How  to  test  Seed  Corn 121 

XI.  Soil  for  Corn 140 

XII.  First  Steps  in  Cultivation 150 

XIII.  The  Second  Step  in  Cultivation 163 

XIV.  The  Third  Step  in  Cultivation  —  The  Seed 

Bed 175 

XV.  The  Fourth   Step  in  Cultiv.^^tion  —  Planting  182 
XVI.  The    Fifth    Step    in    Cultivation  —  Tending 

THE  Crop 203 

XVII.  Harvesting  the  Crop 215 

XVIII.  Corn  Silage 232 

XIX.  Storing  the  Ears 239 

INDEX 243 


CORN   BOOK   FOR 
YOUNG  FOLK 

CHAPTER  I 

IMPORTANCE  OF  CORN  CROP 

Just  as  the  Rocky  Mountains  tower  over  our  other 
ranges,  so  corn  towers  in  value  over  our  American 
crops.  No  other  crop  occupies  so  many  acres ;  no 
other  sells  for  so  large  a  sum.  This  hardy  plant 
ripens  its  grains  in  many  climates  and  makes  itself 
at  home  in  many  soils.  Few  crops  are  treated  in 
such  widely  different  ways.  On  the  best  American 
farms  corn  is  usually  given  a  rich,  mellow  seed  bed. 
It  is  cultivated  by  excellent  machines,  gathered  by 
a  costly  harvester,  and  ground  by  a  well-equipped 
mill.  In  parts  of  Africa  the  seeds  are  still  dropped 
into  holes  made  by  a  sharpened  stick.  The  plant 
is  still  cultivated  by  wooden  plows,  the  ears  carried 
to  the  storehouse  in  baskets,  and  the  grain  beaten 
into  food  with  a  stone. 

The  amount  of  corn  grown  in  the  United  States 
is  enormous.  To  state  that  our  country  grows  yearly 
over   3,000,000,000  bushels  of  corn  gives   no  clear 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


idea  of  the  greatness  of  the  amount.    Our  minds 
cannot    without    aid   form    a   picture    of    so    many 

bushels.  But  suppose  our 
nation  should  undertake 
to  haul  these  bushels  in 
two-horse  wagons.  If  the 
drivers  put  40  bushels  in 
each  wagon,  the  train 
of  wagons  would  stretch 
out  in  an  unbroken  line 
for  426,000  miles.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  million 
horses  would  be  needed 
to  draw  the  wagons.  This 
is  about  seven  and  a  half 
times  as  many  horses  and 
mules  as  we  have  in  the 
United  States.  Suppose 
that  each  team  could  be 
given  wings  and  could  fly 
through  the  240,000  miles 
between  the  earth  and 
the  moon.  When  the  last 
wagon  of  the  long  train 
left  the  earth,  the  first 
wagon  would  be  three 
fourths  of  the  way  back  to  the  starting  point.  If 
these  wagons  were  piled  one  on  the  other,  they 
would  make  a  tower  over  71,000  miles  in  height. 


Fig.  I.   Our  Greatest  Cereal 


IMPORTANCE  OF  CORN  CROP  3 

Big  as  this  crop  is,  however,  modern  thrift  pro- 
vides ways  to  use  not  only  these  milHons  of  bushels 
of  grain,  but  also  every  part  of  the  stalk  which 
bears  the  grain.  Of  course  the  greatest  use  of 
corn  is  to  feed  man  and  his  domestic  animals. 
Everyone  is  familiar  with  the  many  forms  in  which 
ground  corn  is  served  on  our  tables.  Nearly  every- 
one has  occasion  to  see  how  greedily  animals  eat 
both  grain  and  stalk.  Many  do  not  know,  however, 
that  corn  is  widely  used  in  the  arts.  At  present 
50,000,000  bushels  of  corn  are  manufactured  into 
starch,  sirups,  and  sugar  every  year.  The  United 
States  sends  annually  to  foreign  countries  83,000,000 
bushels  of  corn.  W^ith  the  rapid  growth  in  the  use 
of  starch  and  of  corn  sirups  and  sugars  our  country 
will  probably  soon  consume  as  much  corn  in  making 
these  products  as  it  sells  to  outside  countries. 

A  study  of  Fig.  20  will  help  us  to  remember  some 
of  the  more  recent  uses  of  the  corn  kernel.  The 
germ  is  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  kernel.  The  cen- 
tral portion  of  the  kernel  is  called  by  the  long 
name  "endosperm."  The  outside  of  the  kernel  is, 
as  you  all  know,  called  the  hull.  Corn  oil  and  oil 
cake  are  made  from  the  germ.  Corn  oil  is  used  in 
making  soap,  soap  powders,  oilcloth,  paints,  varnishes, 
and  a  kind  of  rubber  for  overshoes,  automobile  tires, 
and  other  kindred  products.  When  the  oil  is  purified 
it  is  used  in  place  of  lard  in  bread,  cakes,  salads,  and 
liniments.    The  oil  cake  is  a  stock  food. 


4       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

From  the  endosperm  immense  quantities  of  starch 
are  made.  Starch  and  two  of  its  products  —  corn 
sirup  and  dextrin  —  are  used  in  so  many  ways  that 
even  to  name  them  would  be  tiresome.  They  enter 
into  such  foods  as  jelHes,  sauces,  puddings,  pie  fillings, 
candies,  mincemeats,  preserves,  and  canned  meats. 
They  go  into  pastes,  gums,  mucilages,  inks,  black- 
ing, shoe  polish,  and  hair  tonics.  They  are  useful  in 
tanning  leather,  thickening  colors  for  calico,  filling 
cloth,  and  in  paper  manufacture.  They  find  a  place 
in  the  making  of  mirrors,  tires,  chewing-tobacco, 
face  powders,  laundry  supplies,  and  vinegars.  Corn 
husks  are  made  into  hats,  doormats,  and  a  fine 
quality  of  bank-note  paper;  they  also  furnish  pack- 
ing for  horse  collars,  furniture,  and  coarse  mat- 
tresses. Paper  is  made  from  the  blades  and  stalks. 
The  cobs  go  to  market  in  the  shape  of  corncob 
pipes.  Even  the  pith  is  seized  by  careful  fingers 
and  made  into  box-board,  guncotton,  and  a  packing 
for  armored  ships  that  may  be  pierced  by  shells. 

To  aid  in  seeing  how  important  this  widely  used 
plant  is  to  the  American  farmer,  let  us  study  a 
map  prepared  by  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture. 

What  do  you  find  stated  in  the  right  corner  of 
the  map  to  be  the  total  yield  of  corn  in  the  United 
States?  Taking  the  population  of  our  country  as 
one  hundred  and  ten  million  people,  how  many 
bushels  would  come  to  each  man,  woman,  and  child 


6        CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

if  the  entire  crop  were  divided  among  them?  The 
average  price  of  corn  in  America  for  the  year  in 
which  this  map  was  made  was  about  $1.28  a  bushel. 
Take  the  figures  showing  the  total  yield  and  see 
what  was  the  money  value  of  the  crop  for  that 
year.     If  you   should  divide  this  crop   among  the 


Fig.  3.    Shrrmax  Hall  and  his  Yield  of  107.33  Bushels 

twenty-five  million  school  children  in  America,  how 
much  money  would  you  receive?  What  do  you 
learn  from  the  dark  circles  within  the  state  bounds  ? 
Which  state  has  the  largest  circle?  How  does  this 
large  state  circle  compare  with  the  circle  in  your 
state?  In  1915  the  United  States  produced  about 
three  fourths  of  the  world's  supply  of  corn.  Name 
from  the  map  the  ten  states  that  grew  most  of  this 


IMPORTANCE  OF  CORN  CROP  7 

corn.  Would  anyone  be  right  in  calling  these  states 
the  Corn  Belt  ?  Can  you  find  out  whether  some  of 
these  states  are  also  in  the  Cotton  Belt  ? 

As  you  perhaps  know,  corn  grows  best  in  sec- 
tions that  have  comparatively  warm,  moist,  fertile 
soils  and  that  also  have  comparatively  long  growing- 
seasons.  Will  these  facts  or  any  one  of  them  ex- 
plain why  there  are  no  large  circles  in  the  New 
England  States?  Is  it  for  the  same  reasons  that 
the  map  shows  no  large  circles  in  the  states  west 
of   Kansas  and   Nebraska? 

The  average  yield  of  corn  in  the  United  States  is 
about  twenty-six  bushels  to  the  acre.  In  many  states 
the  boys  taught  in  the  corn  clubs  have  doubled  this 
yield.  Suppose  we  could  by  following  the  methods 
taught  in  this  book  double  the  total  yield  of  the 
United  States,  how  much  would  this  add  to  the 
wealth  of  our  country?  How  much  would  it  add  to 
the  value  of  your  corn  crop  ?  Would  doubling  the 
yield  double  the  cost  of  growing  the  crop?  In 
answering  this  question,  think  about  these  other 
questions:  W^ould  there  be  any  added  cost  for  rent? 
Would  the  labor  cost  any  more?  Would  the  ferti- 
lizer be  more  costly  ?  Would  it  take  more  seed  ? 
Would  more  tools  be  needed?  Would  the  crop  be 
harder  to  harvest?  Should  you  not,  then,  as  a 
wise  young  grower  be  willing  to  study  constantly 
and  carefully  these  methods,  and  use  them  on  your 
own  farm  ? 


8        CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

POINTS  FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Name  some  articles  in  your  home  in  which  corn  products 
are  used. 

2.  Remembering  that  the  United  States  raises  three  fourths  of 
all  the  corn  grown  in  the  world,  draw  a  circle  to  show  the  size  of 
the  world  crop. 

3.  Soak  a  grain  of  corn  in  water,  then  split  it  and  see  whether 
you  can  separate  the  germ,  the  endosperm,  and  the  hull.  Note  the 
difference  in  color  between  the  germ  and  the  endosperm.  Does 
the  oil  in  the  germ  cause  this  difference  in  color  ? 

4.  Allowing  forty  bushels  to  the  wagon,  how  many  wagons 
would  it  take  to  haul  at  one  time  the  total  crop  of  your  state  ? 
How  many  horses  would  be  needed  to  draw  these  wagons  ?  If  a 
horse  is  nine  feet  long,  how  long  would  the  line  of  horses  be .-' 

5.  Measure  your  home  crib  or  any  other  crib  and,  allowing  two 
and  one-half  cubic  feet  of  corn  in  the  ear  to  one  bushel  of  shelled 
corn,  see  how  many  bushels  the  crib  will  hold. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  CORN  CROP 

Most  of  our  greatest  crops  were  grown  in  the  older 
countries  centuries  before  America  was  discovered. 
Wheat  and  oats  seem  to  have  had  their  first  homes 
in  central  Asia.  Sugarcane  was  brought  from  India. 
Cotton,  although  it  is  now  so  largely  an  American 
crop,  was,  like  sugar  cane,  perhaps  first  grown  in 
India.  As  Americans,  however,  we  are  proud  that 
corn,  our  greatest  crop,  is  a  native  of  our  own 
country.  It  was  unknown  to  the  Old  World  before 
Columbus  made  his  remarkable  trip. 

Perhaps  some  pupil  is  ready  to  ask :  "  Is  that  not 
a  mistake  ?  We  read  in  the  first  book  in  the  Bible, 
'And  Joseph  gathered  corn  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,' 
and  of  course  the  Bible  was  written  long  before  the 
time  of  Columbus."  In  early  writings,  however,  the 
name  "  corn"  is  usually  given  to  the  greatest  grain 
crop.  When  this  word,  then,  is  used  in  the  Bible, 
wheat,  not  Indian  corn,  is  meant. 

All  the  explorers  of  America  were  struck  by  the 
beautiful  new  grain  plant  found  on  our  shores.  Co- 
lumbus writes  King  Ferdinand  and  Queen  Isabella, 
"  On  one  of  the  islands  I  found  fields  eighteen  miles 
long-  growing  in  maize  (corn)."    Cartier  was  one  of 

9 


lO 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


the  first  to  sail  into  the  cold  waters  of  Canada.  He 
says  that  he  found  a  great  town  (now  known  as 
Montreal)  situated  in  a  cornfield.   John  Smith,  hero 

of   the   colony 


of  Jamestown, 
calls  attention 
to  the  useful- 
ness of  Indian 
corn.  The  Pu- 
ritans mention 
corn  in  New 
England  and 
say  that  the 
Indians  used 
fish  as  a  ferti- 
lizer for  corn. 
Early  visitors 
to  America  ex- 
pected to  find 
many  wonders 
like  fountains 
of  youth  and 
caves  of  jewels. 
Although  they 
did  not  find  the 


Fig.  4. 


First  Picture  of  Indian  Corn 
(After  John  White) 


expected  wonders,   they  told    some    things    almost 
as  surprising.    One  of  these  writers  says  of  corn: 

Heer  [here]  of  one  graine  of  maize  a  reed  doth  spring. 
That  thrice  a  year  five  hundred  graines  doth  bring. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  CORN  CROP 


1 1 


In  1585  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  attempted  the  first 
English  settlement  in  America.  This  colony  started 
cabin  homes  on  Roanoke  Island,  North  Carolina. 
Among  the  daring  men  who  came  with  this  col- 
ony were  Thomas  Hariot,  a  writer,  and  John  White, 


Fig.  5.    Indian  cooking  Corn.    (After  John  White) 


an  artist.  Hariot  wrote,  in  what  now  seems  to  us 
queer  spelling,  the  first  article  ever  w^-itten  about 
Indian  corn.     He  thus  describes  the  new  plant: 

Pagatour,  a  kind  of  graine  so  called  by  the  Indians ; 
the  same  in  the  West  Indies  is  called  Mayse  ;  Englishmen 
called  it  Guinney  Wheate  or  Turkey  Wheate  according 
to  the  names  of  the  countreys  from  whence  the  like  hath 


12       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

beene  brought.  The  graine  is  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
English  peaze,  not  much  different  in  forme  and  shape,  but 
of  divers  colors  :  some  white,  some  red,  some  yellow,  and 
some  blew.  All  of  them  yeelde  a  very  white  sweete  fiower ; 
being  used  according  to  his  kinde  it  maketh  a  very  goode 
bread.  .  .  . 

It  is  a  grain  of  marvellous  greate  increase ;  of  a  thousand, 
fifteene  hundred  and  some  two  thousand  fold.  There  are 
three  sortes  of  which  two  are  ripe  in  eleven  or  twelve  weeks 
at  the  most ;  sometimes  in  ten  after  they  set,  and  are  then 
in  height  of  stalke  about  six  or  seven  foote.  The  other  sorte 
is  ripe  in  fourteene,  and  is  almost  ten  foote  high  ;  of  the 
stalks  some  beare  four  heads,  some  three,  some  one  and 
two ;  every  head  containeth  five,  sixe  or  seven  hundred 
graines  within  a  fewe  more  or  less.  Of  these  graines  besides 
breade  the  Indians  made  victaull  either  by  parching  them  or 
seetheing  them  whole  until  they  be  broken,  or  by  boyling 
the  floure  with  watter  into  a  pappe. 

Our  corn-club  boys  will  even  now  find  it  hard  to 
equal  the  yield  of  corn  as  given  by  Hariot.  He  says, 
"An  Enghsh  Acre  doth  there  yield  in  croppe  of 
corn,  beanes  and  peaze  at  the  least  two  hundred 
London  bushells." 

Not  only  did  this  colony  furnish  the  first  histor- 
ical account  of  our  great  crop  but  also  the  earliest 
drawings  of  the  natives.  John  White,  the  artist,  drew 
many  striking  pictures  to  show  how^  the  Indians 
looked  and  how  they  lived.  Among  these  drawings 
were  two  showing  the  ways  in  which  the  Indians 
cooked  their  corn.    One  of  these  is  copied  in  this 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  CORN  CROP 


13 


book ;   these    drawings    were    the    first    Indian-corn 
pictures  ever  looked  on  by  Enghsh  eyes. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  corn,  America  could  prob- 
ably not  have  been  settled  when  it  was.  You  re- 
member what  a  trying  time  the  early  settlers  had. 
They  vi^ere  three  thousand 
miles  from  supplies.  Their 
ships  took  three  months 
to  cross  the  ocean.  Some- 
times ships  trying  to  reach 
them  with  food  and  clothes 
were  driven  back  by  storms. 
Often  for  weeks  and  months 
"  they  cast  longing  eyes  to 
the  east "  to  see  whether 
help  were  coming.  In  this 
"  starving  time,"  as  it  was 
afterwards  called,  the  poor 
sufferers  lived  largely  on 
food  made  from  corn.  Their 
Indian  neighbors  taught 
the  men  how  to  grow  the  crop.  The  squaws 
showed  the  women  how  to  crush  the  grain  in 
wooden  or  stone  mortars  and  how  to  make  dif- 
ferent palatable  dishes  from  the  grains.  In  the 
absence  of  grass  crops  the  animals  of  the  settlers 
were  largely  supported  by  the  corn  plant.  Three 
years  after  Jamestown  was  founded  the  colonists 
were  cultivating  thirty  acres  in  corn.     One  of  the 


Fig.  6.    Indian  Mortar  for 
CRUSHING  Corn 


14 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Pilgrim   writers    of    New   England    tells  how  they 
fertilized  their  fields  of  corn  with  fish.    He  says: 

According  to  the  manner  of  the  Indians  we  manured  our 
ground  with  herring,  or  rather  shad,  which  we  have  in  great 


Fig.  7.    Indian  Stone  Mortar  for  crushing  Corn 


abundance,  and  take  with  ease  at  our  doors.  You  may  see 
in  one  township  a  hundred  acres  together  set  with  these 
fish,  every  acre  taking  a  thousand  of  them,  and  an  acre 
thus  dressed  will  produce  and  yield  as  much  corn  as  three 
acres  without  fish. 

As  the  number  of  people  in  America  grew  larger 
the  growing  of  corn  increased  rapidly.    At  an  early 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  CORN  CROP 


15 


date  barrels  of  corn  began  to  go  in  large  quantities 
to  the  Old  World.  The  countries  around  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea-  were  suited  to  the  new  grain  crop,  and 
it  gradually  spread  over  large  sections  of  Europe, 


Fig.  8.    Indians  clearing  Land  bv  Fire  for  Corn 
(After  John  White) 

Asia,  and  Africa.  The  Portuguese  were  great  sea- 
goers  in  that  day,  and  they  took  corn  into  their 
colonies. 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Try  to  find  from  your  histories  what  crops,  besides  corn, 
America  gave  to  the  world. 

2.  Our  modern  fertilizers  are  bought  to  supply  three  plant 
foods.  Which  of  these  does  for  our  corn  what  the  fish  did  for  the 
Indian's  corn  ?    Do  we  now  use  fish  in  any  form  as  a  fertilizer  ? 


1 6       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

What  does  the  fact  that  the  Indians  had  to  use  fish  show  about 
their  lands  ?   Does  your  land  suffer  from  the  same  lack  ? 

3.  Study  the  picture  (Fig.  8)  to  see  how  Indians  cleared  their 
lands  of  trees.  Would  this  slow  and  troublesome  way  of  getting 
rid  of  trees  explain  the  need  of  fish  ? 

4.  The  Indians  used  one  thousand  herring  to  the  acre.  If  each 
herring  weighed  half  a  pound  and  contained  8  per  cent  of  nitro- 
gen, how  much  nitrogen  did  the  Indians  use  to  the  acre  ?  How 
does  this  compare  with  what  our  farmers  use  ? 

5.  From  a  comparison  of  the  pictures  in  this  chapter  write  a 
paragraph  on  "  The  Indian  Way  of  growing  and  cooking  Corn." 

6.  What  per  cent  of  your  own  farm  is  planted  in  corn  ? 


CHAPTER  III 

CLIMATE  AND  THE  CORN  CROP 

Each  plant  has,  of  course,  a  home  where  it  first 
grew.  If  a  plant  is  valuable  for  its  body,  its  fruit,  its 
flower,  or  any  other  part,  man  will  sooner  or  later 
take  it  into  every  countrv  in  which  it  will  s^row. 
The  more  valuable  the  plant,  the  wider  it  will  be 
scattered. 

Students  of  the  corn  plant  think  that  its  first 
home  was  in  warm  table-lands  high  above  the  sea 
level,  —  perhaps  as  high  as  four  or  five  thousand 
feet.  There  it  proved  so  hardy  and  useful  that  men 
who  are  always  hunting  new  foods  learned  its 
value  and  wanted  to  plant  it  wherever  they  settled. 
Hence,  in  the  course  of  time,  it  became,  as  we  have 
seen,  one  of  the  most  widely  grown  of  farm  crops. 

In  spite  of  its  wide  growth  corn  is  still  very  sen- 
sitive to  climatic  conditions  and  refuses  to  yield  its 
highly  prized  grains  except  in  climates  like  that  from 
which  it  came  or  to  which  it  has  adapted  itself. 

Suppose  you  w^anted  to  buy  a  farm  on  which  to 
grow  corn.  Would  it  not  be  well  to  know  in  which 
climates  to  buy  ?  First,  is  it  necessary  for  corn  to 
have  the  same  height  above  the  sea  level  as  it  had 
in  its  first  home  ?    If  corn  will  grow  on  lands  lower 

17 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


or  higher  than  4000  feet,  will  this  not  prove  that  the 
same  height  is  not  needed?    In  India  it  fruits  at  a 

height  of  7000  feet 
above  the  sea,  in  Peru 
at  8000  feet,  and  in 
Mexico  at  10,000  feet. 
At  the  same  time  it 
makes  a  good  crop 
in  North  Carolina  at 
sea  level.  Would  you, 
therefore,  in  choosing 
a  farm  have  to  think 
much  about  height  ? 
Could  you  safely  buy 
anywhere  in  Ohio,  in 
Tennessee,  in  Kan- 
sas, or  in  Vermont  ? 

In    selecting    your 

farm  you  will,  so  far 

as  height  goes,  have 

to  keep  in  mind  one 

other    fact.     In     the 

Middle    States    corn 

that  will  ripen  in  one 

hundred    days    at    a 

height   of    1000    feet 

will  need  one  hundred  and  thirty  or  one  hundred 

and  forty  days  at  a  height   of   2000  feet.     If  you 

want  to  grow  early  corn,  would  you  buy  at  a  height 


Fig.  9. 


Corn  grown  in  Highlands 
OF  Montana 


CLIMATE  AND  THE  CORN  CROP 


19 


above  1000  feet?  Do  not  forget  that  great  height 
means  cool  nights,  and  such  nights  require  a  longer 
growing-season.  The  different  kinds  of  corn  take 
from  ninety  to  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  days 
to  ripen.  If  you  bought  a  highland  farm,  would 
you   have   to  plant  slow  or  rapid   ripening  kinds? 


Fig.  10.    Iowa  Field  with  Abundant  Moisture 

Corn,  like  all  bulky  crops,  must  have  abundant 
moisture.  It  takes  from  eighteen  to  twenty  tons  of 
water  to  make  one  bushel  of  corn.  Fig.  10  shows 
an  Iowa  cornfield,  and  Fig.  11  a  Georgia  cornfield. 
Let  us  see  how  much  moisture  is  needed  to  make 
good  crops  such  as  are  shown  in  these  pictures.  The 
average  rainfall  during  May,  June,  July,  and  August, 
in  Iowa,  through  a  period  of  eighteen  years,  was  four 


20 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


and  one-half  inches.  In  Georgia  it  was  four  and 
seven-tenths  inches.  Both  of  these  fields  received, 
whether  or  not  the  average  amount  fell  on  them, 
enough  water  to  meet  their  needs.  Now  glance  at 
Fig.  1 2.  This  picture  shows  the  size  of  corn  grown  in 
a  section  of  Arizona.   The  average  rainfall  where  this 


Fig.  II.   Georgia  Field  where  Moisture  was  Ample 

corn  was  grown  was,  for  the  same  months,  only  about 
nine  tenths  of  an  inch.  Do  you  wonder  at  its 
small  size?  In  buying  a  corn  farm  would  you  not 
ask  about  the  average  rainfall  during  the  growing- 
season  ?  Would  you  buy  even  a  farm  at  a  low  price 
if  the  average  monthly  rain  in  summer  was  below 
four  inches  ?  If  you  wanted  to  buy  in  Arizona,  would 
you  not  buy  close  to  an  irrigation  ditch  ? 


CLIMATE  AND  THE  CORN  CROP 


21 


Even  in  the  Corn  Belt  there  is  a  close  connection 
between  the  amount  of  rainfall  and  the  yield  of  corn. 
In  1 89 1  the  average  rainfall  in  Iowa  (one  of  the 
largest  corn-growing  states)  for  the  four  growing- 
months  was  4.3  inches.  The  state  averaged  for  that 
year  thirty-eight   bushels   of  corn  to  the  acre.     In 


Fig.  12.   Corn  in  Dry  Lands  of  Arizona 


1894,  a  very  dry  year,  the  average  rainfall  in  the 
same  state  for  the  same  months  was  only  1.7  inches, 
and  the  average  yield  to  the  acre  was  only  fourteen 
bushels.  For  lack  of  the  usual  rain  the  yield  fell  off 
nearly  three  fourths.  If  this  happened  in  a  good 
corn  state  like  Iowa,  could  you  risk  buying  a  farm 
in  any  section  where  the  annual  rainfall  was  low? 

Not  only  must  corn  have  enough  rain  but  it  does 
best  in  climates  where  the  rainfall  during  the  period 


22 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


of  its  growth  is  fairly  well  distributed.  An  ideal 
season  is  one  in  which  three  or  four  inches  of  rain  fall 
during  both  May  and  June,  and  a  little  more  in  July 
and  August  when  the  plants  are  tasseling  and  silking 

and  the  grains  are 
filling.  Let  us  take 
another  illustration 
from  Iowa.  In  1900 
that  state  averaged 
forty-three  bushels 
to  an  acre.  This  was 
the  largest  average 
yield  in  eighteen 
years.  It  will  be  in- 
teresting to  note 
how  the  rain  was 
distributed  during 
the  four  growing- 
months  of  that  year. 
In  May,  2)-3  inches 
fell;injune,4inches; 
in  July,  6.2  inches;  in 
August,  4.7  inches. 
Now  compare  this  with  the  very  next  year's  yield. 
In  1 90 1  the  average  for  the  same  state  was  only 
twenty-six  bushels.  How  was  the  rainfall  distributed 
in  this  year?  In  May  the  rainfall  was  2.3  inches;  in 
June,  3.7  inches;  in  July,  2.3  inches;  in  August,  1.3 
inches.  You  will  notice  that  in  this  year  the  rainfall 


Fig.  13. 


Navajo  Corn  in  Dry  Lands 
OF  New  Mexico 


CLIMATE  AND  THE  CORN  CROP  23 

for  the  two  months  most  important  in  the  growth 
of  the  crop  was  far  smaller  than  in  the  other  year. 

On  the  other  hand,  during  tasseling  and  silking 
time,  heavy  rains  (especially  heavy,  blowing  rains),  are 
very  harmful  to  the  crop.  Such  rains  at  this  time 
not  only  wash  the  pollen  away,  so  that  it  does  not 
fall  on  the  silks,  but  they  prevent  a  proper  growth 
of  the  roots.  Therefore,  in  buying  a  corn  farm 
should  you  not  take  time  to  study  not  only  the 
average  rainfall  during  the  growing-season  but  also 
how  this  rainfall  is  distributed? 

Perhaps  some  of  you  have  read  that  corn  is 
grown  in  South  Africa  and  that  the  rainfall  there 
in  our  summer  months  is  comparatively  small.  You 
are,  therefore,  ready  to  ask  how  corn  can  be  grown 
in  that  country.  Turn  to  your  geographies  and  you 
will  find  that  the  months  for  growing  corn  there  are 
December,  January,  and  February.  In  these  months 
there  is  enough  rain  to  grow  the  crop. 

Now  will  you  not  turn  to  the  graphic  map  on 
page  5  and  let  us  think  over  another  climatic 
effect.  Notice  on  the  map  that  beginning  in  the 
south  and  going  north  the  circles  grow  larger  until 
a  line  north  of  Nebraska,  Iowa,  and  Illinois  is 
reached.  Then  the  dark  circles  again  grow  smaller. 
These  circles,  of  course,  show  that  the  corn  crop  is 
largely  raised  in  seven  states ;  namely,  Illinois,  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Indiana,  and  Ohio. 
The  average  summer  temperature  of  these  states  is 


24 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


between  seventy  and  eighty  degrees ;  they  also  have 
in  summer  comparatively  few  cloudy  days.  Would 
not  these  facts  lead  you  to  think  that  it  would  be 
well  for  you  to  buy  your  farm  in  a  climate  hav- 
ing about  this  same  amount  of  heat  and  sunshine? 


^ 

ill 

t'^ 

^HT 

rtA^^U 

m 

^r"<s  ^BSIr  £ M 

m 

W& 

Sm 

1 

^  ■  • 

Fig.  14.    Thriving  Corx  ix  the  South 

But  suppose  for  family  or  other  reasons  you  want 
to  buy  a  corn  farm  south  or  north  of  the  Corn  Belt. 
You  will  then  wish  an  answer  to  these  questions: 
Could  the  states  lying  south  of  the  Corn  Belt  become 
great  corn-growers  ?  Could  the  states  lying  north  of 
this  belt  be  made  to  yield  heavy  crops  of  corn } 


26       CORN  BOOK  I'OR  YOUNG  FOLK 

In  the  South  there  is  no  reason  why  the  corn 
yield  on  any  well-tilled  farm  should  not  be  large. 
In  fact,  the  largest  number  of  bushels  produced 
so  far  on  a  single  acre  of  an  American  farm  was 
produced  in  South  Carolina.  Many  heavy  yields 
have  been  made  in  all  the  Southern  states.  Why, 
then,  if  such  yields  can  be  made  below  the  Corn 
Belt,  is  not  more  corn  grown  in  that  section  ? 

There  are  two  main  reasons:  First,  in  the  Corn 
Belt  few  crops  can  be  grown  year  in  and  year  out 
that  pay  so  handsomely  as  corn.  This  is  not  true  in 
the  South ;  while  corn  grows  admirably,  other  crops 
like  cotton,  tobacco,  sugar  cane,  peanuts,  soy  beans, 
and  sweet  potatoes  bring  the  farmer,  as  a  rule,  more 
money  than  corn  does.  Moreover,  having  a  climate 
suited  to  so  many  crops,  the  Southern  farmer  natu- 
rally wishes  to  grow  a  variety  of  crops  so  that  if  one 
fails  or  is  low  in  price  another  may  supply  his  needs. 
Hence,  instead  of  planting  their  lands  mainly  to 
corn  as  the  farmers  in  the  Corn  Belt  do,  the  planters 
in  these  Southern  states  grow  many  kinds  of  crops. 
The  second  reason  is  this :  owing  to  long  summers 
the  humus  in  Southern  soils  is  used  up  during  the 
year  more  rapidly  than  is  the  humus  in  the  soils  of 
the  Corn  Belt.  If  a  plentiful  supply  of  humus  is 
kept  in  Southern  soils,  you  need  not  fear  to  buy  a 
corn  farm  anywhere  from  Virginia  to  Texas. 

Now  to  answer  the  second  question,  namely,  Could 
the  states  north  of  the  Corn  Belt  be  made  to  yield 


CLIMATE  AND  THE  CORN  CROP 


27 


heavy  crops  of  corn  regularly?  In  these  states  there 
is  some  of  the  richest  land  in  the  world.  The  rain- 
fall is  plenteous  and  the  height  above  the  sea  level 
is  not  too  great.  But,  for  all  these  climatic  blessings, 
these  states  can  never 
become  huge  grow- 
ers of  corn.  Why  not? 
The  growing-season 
is  too  short. 

You  will  under- 
stand this  better  if 
you  compare  the 
growing-season  of  a 
state  in  the  Corn  Belt 
with  that  of  a  state 
north  of  it.  Let  us 
count  the  growing- 
season  as  the  time 
between  the  average 
date  of  planting  and 
the  average  date  of 
harvesting.  In  Illi- 
nois, the  largest  corn- 
producing  state  at  present,  there  are  one  hundred 
and  sixty-nine  growing-days.  In  Texas,  of  the 
Southern  Belt,  there  are  two  hundred  and  seven 
growing-days.  Now  selecting  North  Dakota  or 
Maine,  of  the  Northern  Belt,  we  find  that  both  of 
these  states  have  only  one  hundred  and  seventeen 


Fig.  16.   This  Montana  Corn  had 
ONLY  One  Hundred   and   Seven- 
teen Growing-Days 


28       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

growing-days.  In  other  words,  the  growing-seasons 
in  North  Dakota  and  in  Maine  are  fifty-two  days 
shorter  than  the  growing-season  of  Ilhnois  and 
ninety  days  shorter  than  the  ripening-time  of  Texas. 
Now  the  most  productive  kinds  of  field  corn  take 


Fig.  17.    Field  where  Conditions  were  Favorable 

about  one  hundred  days  to  ripen.  You  see,  then, 
that  in  Ilhnois  the  crop  has  sixty-nine  days  in  which 
to  make  itself  safe  from  early  frost  or  cold,  while  in 
North  Dakota  or  Maine  it  has  only  seventeen  days. 
Hence,  in  all  these  colder  states  the  corn  crop  is 
necessarily  a  more  or  less  uncertain  one.  In  the 
Corn  Belt  there  are  almost  no  late  spring  frosts 
or  early  fall  frosts. 


CLIMATE  AND  THE  CORN  CROP  29 

Now  you  know  how  corn  is  injured  by  a  very 
little  cold.  Indeed,  the  length  of  its  growing-season 
is,  as  has  been  said,  "  measured  by  the  last  spring 
frost  and  the  first  one  of  autumn."  One  light  frost 
in  the  fall  at  once  stops  its  growth.  No  state,  then, 
that  does  not  have  at  least  five  months  of  freedom 
from  frost  can  ever  become  a  really  great  corn  state. 
With  your  heart  set  on  growing  corn,  would  you 
dare  select  a  farm  in  these  colder  states? 

Taking  all  these  climatic  facts  into  consideration 
in  your  choice  of  a  farm,  are  you  not  ready  to  say, 
"  I  will,  other  things  being  equal,  most  safely  buy 
my  farm  in  a  section  with  these  climatic  features: 
first,  where  the  height  above  the  sea  level  is  not  too 
great ;  second,  where  the  rainfall  averages  at  least 
four  inches  each  month  of  the  growing-season ; 
third,  where  the  rain  in  the  growing-season  is  fairly 
distributed ;  fourth,  where  there  is  an  abundant 
amount  of  sunshine  and  not  too  many  cloudy  days ; 
fifth,  where  there  are  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty 
days  of  warmth  and  freedom  from  frost." 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  If  a  field  of  corn  yielded  one  hundred  bushels,  how  many 
tons  of  water  did  the  plants  need  to  make  this  yield  ? 

2.  Explain  what  climatic  reasons  keep  the  states  on  the  Pacific 
slope  from  being  great  corn  states. 

3.  Why  would  a  field  of  corn  in  Minnesota  be  expected  to 
finish  its  growth  in  a  shorter  time  than  a  field  in  Louisiana  ? 


30 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


4.  In  case  a  friend  told  you  that  his  prize  acre  of  corn  received 
only  two  inches  of  rain  in  July  and  one  and  one-half  inches  in 
August,  would  you  think  that  his  acre  was  likely  to  win  the  prize  ? 

5.  Explain  why  the  Southern  states  are  not  heavier  growers  of 
corn.  Do  the  same  reasons  keep  the  extreme  Northern  states 
from  raising  corn  in  large  quantities? 


CHAPTER  IV 


RACES  OF  CORN 

The  human  family  —  ahke  in  so  many  ways  —  is 
divided  into  races;  namely,  white,  yellow,  red,  brown, 
and  black.  This  division  is,  of  course,  made  from 
the  color  of  the  five  races.  So,  in  like  manner,  corn 
plants  are  divided 


#^ff  01 


into  races,  but  the 
division  is  not  on 
account  of  color. 
Let  us  learn  to 
divide  corn  into 
races.  To  do  this 
we  shall  have  to 
study  a  kernel 
closely  and  learn 
some  new  names. 
The  kernels  of 
each  race  differ.  In  Fig.  i8  we  see  the  front  and 
back  of  a  kernel  from  each  of  the  principal  races. 
Do  you  notice  the  sink  in  the  first  kernel  of  each 
pair.?  Is  there  such  a  sink  in  the  back  of  the 
kernels?  Did  you  ever  think  what  this  sink  is  for? 
The  young  plant  which  is  to  grow  from  each  of 
these  grains  is  cuddled  in  this  sink. 

31 


Fig.  18.  Front  and  Back  of  Kernels 
OF  Different  Races 

Top  row  (left  to  right)  :  flint,  soft,  pop.    Bot- 
tom row  (left  to  right)  :  sweet,  dent,  pod 


32 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


/Endosperm-^, 


Tip  Cap 


Fig.  19.  A  Split 
Kernel 


If  you  soak  one  of  these  kernels  and  then  spht  it 

with  a  sharp  knife,  you  will  see,  if  your  eyes  are 
sharp,  what  is  shown  in  Fig.  19.  In 
the  middle  of  the  kernel  the  young 
plant  called  the  germ,  chit,  or  em- 
bryo is  shown.  This  germ,  or  embryo, 
reaches  from  A  to  B.  Do  you  notice 
that  the  germ  has  a  root  (C)  and  a 
shoot,  or  stem  (/))?  Just  below  the 
germ  you  see  the  tip  cap  marked. 
This  fastens  the  kernel  to  the  cob 
and  protects   the  lower  end    of    the 

germ.    Its  wedge  shape  enables  it  to  sink  into  the 

cob    and    hold    the    kernel    in    place.     All    around 

the  germ,  as   shown   in 

Fig.  20,  are  the  starchy 

parts  of  the  kernel.   The 

starch   on  each    side   of 

the  germ  is  harder  and 

darker  than  the   starch 

at  the  top  of  the  kernel. 

Hence   it   is  called    the 

horny  starch,  while  the 

whiter  and  softer  starch 

at  the  top  is  known  as 

crown  starch.  The  young 

plant     feeds     on     these 

starchy  parts  of  the  kernel  until  it  is  strong  enough 

to  draw  its  food  from  the  soil.   Both  the  young  germ 


Germ  Stc»i 


Gcnn  Root 


Germ 

Ttp 
Starch 


Fig.  20.    How  Starch  is  dis- 
tributed IX  the  Kernel 


RACES  OF  CORN  t^^ 

and  its  starchy  food  are  very  tender.  To  protect 
them  nature  has  sealed  them  in  a  thin  wafer-hke 
layer,  which  goes  entirely  around  the  kernel.  This 
covering  just  inside  the  hull  is  called  the  horny 
gluten.  All  the  starchy  parts,  both  horny  and 
white,  which  are  shut  in  between  the  horny  gluten 
and  the  germ,  or  embryo,  are  called  by  the  long 
name  "  endosperm."  You  will  need  to  remember 
this  long  word,  which  means  just  the  part  around 
the  seed  or  germ  of  every  race  or  variety  of  corn. 


^^        ^ 


A.  Dent  B.  Flint  C.  Pop  D.  Sweet 

Fig.  21.   Endosperm  of  Four  Principal  Races 

Now  the  endosperms  of  corns  differ  somewhat. 
Corns  that  have  endosperms  alike  are  put  into  one 
race,  just  as  men  who  are  colored  alike  are  put  into 
one  race.  Hence,  to  tell  to  what  race  a  corn  plant 
belongs  we  shall  have  to  examine  the  endosperm 
of  the  kernel.  According  to  the  likeness  of  their 
endosperms  corns  are  divided  into  the  following 
races:  dent,  flint,  pop,  sweet,  soft,  and  pod. 

Dent  corn.  By  comparing  the  split  kernels  in  Fig.  21  we 
shall  see  how  the  endosperms  differ,  and  hence  learn  how  the 
different  races  are  classified.  Find  the  hard  or  horny  starch 
in  kernel  A.    Is  it  in  the  sides  of  the  embryo,  or  germ, 


34 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


or  is  it  in  the  top,  or  crown,  of  the  kernel  ?    What  fills  the 
entire  top  of  the  kernel  ?    One  whole  race  of  corn  has  its 


Courtesy  of  American  Agricultural  Chemical  Company 

Fig.  22.    Dent  Corn  showing  All  Parts  of  Ear 

starchy  parts,  or  its  endosperm,  arranged  in  this  way.  Do 
not  forget  that  these  starches,  both  horny  and  soft  (or  crown), 
are  held  between  the  harder  back  and  front  of  the  kernel 
just  as  butter  is  held  between  two  hard  crackers.    Now  as 


RACES  OF  CORN 


35 


the  kernel  hardens  in  ripening,  it  loses  moisture  and  shrinks. 
The  softer  starchy  parts  between  the  flat  front  and  back  of 


Courtesy  of  American  Agricultural  Chemical  Company 

Fig.  23.    Flint  Corn  showing  All  Parts  of  Ear 

the  kernel  shrink   more  than  the   harder  front  and   back. 
This  inside   shrinking  leaves   a  slight  trough,  or  dent,  at 


36       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

the  top  of  the  kernel  between  the  front  and  the  back.  This 
dent  occurs  only  at  the  top  because  nearly  all  the  soft  starch 
that  shrinks  most  is  at  the  top.  All  kinds  of  corns  that 
act  in  this  way  are  called  dent  corns.  There  are  over  three 
hundred  and  twenty  kinds  of  dent  corn.  Among  these  you 
will  find  such  favorites  as  Leaming's  Yellow,  Riley's  Favorite, 
Boone  County  White,  Iowa  Silver  Mine,  Reid's  Yellow 
Dent,  Hildreth's  Yellow,  Cocke's  Prolific,  Mosby's  Prolific, 
Horsetooth,  Sanders's  Improved,  Hickory  King,  Southern 
Beauty,  and  Weekley's  Improved,  These  kinds  differ  in 
the  color  of  the  grain,  in  the  size  of  stalk  and  ear,  in  the 
number  of  ears  to  the  stalk,  and  in  other  ways  ;  but  they  all 
have  the  endosperm  alike. 

Flint  corn.  This  race  is  next  to  dent  corn  in  value. 
Examine  the  figure  (p.  33)  showing  the  endosperm  of  the 
flint  kernel.  Where  do  you  find  the  horny  starch  t  Does  it 
not  fill  the  top  as  well  as  the  sides  of  the  kernel .''  Does  this 
not  make  the  endosperm  different  from  that  of  the  dent .'' 
As  the  flint  kernel  ripens  could  it  shrink  at  the  top  as  the 
dent  does  ?  Since  the  horny  starch  is  harder  than  the  soft 
starch  at  the  top  of  the  dent,  will  this  not  cause  the  top  of 
the  kernel  to  be  harder  or  more  flintlike  than  the  dent  .-* 
Does  this  fact  show  how  this  corn  gets  its  name  .'*    • 

As  is  the  case  with  dent  corn,  there  are  a  great  many  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  flint  corn.  Among  the  kinds,  or  types,  that 
are  liked  by  farmers  who  grow  flint  corn  are  the  following : 
King  Philip,  Longfellow,  White  Sanford,  Smut  Nose,  Bloody 
Butcher,  Gold  Nugget,  Squaw,  Eight-Row,  Twelve-Row,  and 
Angel  of  Midnight. 

Szveet  corn.  Let  us  turn  again  to  Fig.  21.  In  the  drawing 
of  the  sweet-corn  kernel  look  carefully  for  any  hard  or  horny 
starch  which  would  be  shown,  as  in  the  dent  and  flint  kernels, 


RACES  OF  CORN 


Z7 


by  darkened  areas.  Does  this  not  show  that  sweet  corn  has 
no  hard  or  horny  starch  in  its  endosperm  as  the  dents  and 
flints  have  ?  In  all  the  sweet  corns  the  starch  of  the  endo- 
sperm has  been  largely  changed  to  sugar ;  hence  the  kernel 
shrinks  evenly  as  it 
ripens.  This  gives 
to  each  kernel  the 
wrinkled  or  shriveled 
look  that  marks  this 
kind  of  corn.  All 
sweet  corn  has  a  wax- 
like appearance.  The 
generous  amount  of 
sugar  makes  it  a 
favorite  table  corn. 
There  are  at  least 
fifty  different  kinds 
or  varieties  of  sweet 
corn.  Among  the 
most  widely  grown 
are  the  following : 
Country  Gentleman, 
Stowell's  Evergreen, 
White  Cory,  Marble- 
head,  Golden  Ban- 
tam, Early  Landreth,  Crosby's  Early,  Squantum,  Stabler 
Early,  Chicago  Market,  Black  Mexican,  and  Ne  Plus  Ultra. 
Pop  corn.  This  is  the  dwarf  among  the  regular  corns.  It 
is  small  in  stalk,  kernel,  germ,  and  ear.  In  looking  at  the 
pop-corn  kernel  in  Fig.  21,  do  you  see  much  soft  starch  in 
the  endosperm  .?  The  dark  shading  tells  you,  does  it  not,  that 
almost  the  whole  endosperm  is  made  up  of  flinty,  or  hard, 


Fig.  24.   Sweet  Corn 


3S 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


starch  ?  In  the  hardness  of  the  endosperm  is  found  the 
reason  why  this  is  the  only  kind  of  corn  that  "  pops  "  when 
it  is  heated.  The  flint  kernel  is  harder  than  the  dent  kernel 
but  not  so  hard  as  the  pop-corn  kernel.  If  a  fiint  kernel 
is  heated  it  will  not  burst  and  turn  inside  out  as  the  pop 

corn  does ;  it  will  only 
crack.  What  makes  the 
difference  ? 

The  popping  is  per- 
haps due  to  the  fact  that 
water  boils  at  212°  F. 
If  a  weight  is  put  on 
the  vessel  holding  the 
water,  the  water  will  not 
boil  until  a  much  higher 
degree  of  heat  is  reached. 
Should  you  take  the  pres- 
sure off  the  water  after 
the  heat  has  passed  con- 
siderably beyond  2 1 2°  F., 
the  water  will  flash  into 
steam  and  expand  vio- 
lently. This  is  what  hap- 
pens in  popping  corn. 
Moisture  is  shut  up  in  the 
kernel  and  held  in  by  the 
hard  endosperm.  When  you  heat  the  kernel  in  your  popper 
its  hard  endosperm  acts  just  like  the  weight  on  the  water. 
By  and  by,  as  the  heat  increases,  the  moisture  is  changed 
into  steam,  violently  bursts  the  kernel,  and  turns  the  starch 
inside  out.  It  becomes  about  twenty  times  its  natural  size 
when  it  is  popped.  A  pint  and  a  half  of  kernels  will  make 
almost  a  half  bushel  of  popped  corn. 


^^^■^^m 

^^H^«S~-  ' 

^^^  4 

4  "S^^^H'                     ^1 

^Ks:  ^^ 

•  '•'>',  ^&^^^B         '    :'    .      ^1 

^^Bn^  .3' 

'  Fs^^^^^^m-                ^H 

^^^ 

■p  % 

'  ^^^H       ^  1 

^^; 

[  ^^H'"': ' :  ^  J 

^ 

^^Lt^9 

Blui 

^-^^^^^H[^^^^dj^H 

Fig.  25.  Pop  Corn  (Rice  and  Pearl) 


RACES  OF  CORN 


39 


Pop  corn  is  divided  into  two  kinds  :  namely,  the  pearl 
and  the  rice.  Of  these  the  rice  is  the  more  important.  In 
the  rice  variety  the  ears  taper  rapidly  to  the  tip  and  the 
kernels  are  sharp  at  the  crown. 
The  best  varieties  of  the  rice 
kind  are  White  Rice,  Snow- 
ball, Old  Homestead,  and 
Monarch.  The  pearl  varieties 
do  not  taper  so  much,  and  the 
kernels  are  round  at  the  top. 
Among  the  pearl  kind,  White 
Pearl,  Queen  Golden,  and 
Eight-Rowed  are  favorites. 


There  are  two  other 
races  of  corn,  known  as 
the  pod  and  the  soft.  As 
these  two  kinds  have  little 
market  value,  however, 
we  shall  pass  them  by. 

From  a  study  of  the 
split  kernels  we  have 
found  how  the  races  of 
corn  are  grouped.  Let 
us  now  examine  the  en- 
tire kernels  and  also  the 
ears,    so    that    we    may 


Fig.  26.    Pod  Corn 


so    tnat    we 

know  the  races  by  sight.  In  Fig.  18  you  are  given  a 
front  and  a  back  view  of  a  kernel  from  each  race. 
See  how  keenly  you  can  point  out  differences  be- 
tween  these  kernels.    Which  race  has  the  largest 


40       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

kernel  ?  Which  the  smallest  ?  Which  has  the  most 
wedge-shaped  kernel  ?  Which  the  most  wrinkled  ? 
Which  seems  to  have  the  largest  germ  ?  Which  is 
most  nearly  round?  Which  can  stick  in  the  cob 
best?    Try  to  get  kernels  of  each  of  the  four  most 


Fig.  27.    Ears  of  Different  Races  grouped  for  Comparison 

useful  races  and  examine  them  until  you  know  one 
from  the  other.  Notice  also  the  color  of  each  and 
the  difference  in  hardness. 

In  the  same  way  compare  the  ears  shown  in 
Fig.  27.  Examine  the  size  and  the  shape  of  each 
ear.  Which  seems  to  have  the  most  rows  ?  In  which 
are  the  rows  most  nearly  straight?  Which  has  the 
least  space  between  the  rows?  Which  has  the 
widest  space  ?  Which  has  its  rows  very  crooked  ? 
Which  is  most  wrinkled?    Which  would  you  think 


RACES  OF  CORN  41 

has  the  largest  number  of  kernels?  If  possible,  get 
an  ear  of  each  race  and  do  not  lay  the  ears  aside 
until  you  can  easily  state  to  which  race  each  be- 
longs. Compare  the  difference  in  color.  Note  the 
smoothness  of  the  flint  and  the  wrinkled  look  of 
the  sweet.  Count  the  kernels  in  each  row  and 
find  out  how  many  kernels  there  are  in  each  ear. 
Note  w^iether  the  number  of  rows  is  always  an 
even  number.  Shell  the  kernels  and  note  the  size 
of  the  cobs.  Be  sure  to  see  whether  any  of  the 
smaller  ears  have  cobs  that  look  very  large  for 
the  size  of  the  ear. 

In  addition  to  knowing  these  four  races  by  sight 
are  there  any  other  facts  about  them  that  you,  as  a! 
corn-grower,  ought  to  know  ?  Should  you  not  know 
which  yields  the  most  heavily.''  Which  will  suit 
your  soil  and  climate  best?  Which  will  fit  in  best, 
with  your  farm  needs  and  with  your  markets  ? 

Nine  tenths  of  the  corn  grown  in  America  is 
dent  corn.  This  means,  of  course,  that  of  all  the 
barrels  of  corn  hauled  by  our  railroads  or  used  in 
our  homes  nine  barrels  out  of  every  ten  are  filled 
with  dent  corn ;  one  barrel  only  of  the  ten  is  flint, 
sweet,  or  pop  corn.  For  every  barrel  of  pop  corn 
grown  in  our  country  there  are  raised,  roughly 
speaking,  two  barrels  of  sweet,  seven  barrels  of 
flint,  and  ninety  barrels  of  dent  corn.  Would  this 
fact  not  lead  you  to  think  that  dent  is  the  most 
valuable  corn  for  our  American  growers? 


42 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


What  makes  dent  corn  such  a  favorite  ?  Its  stalk 
and  leaf  are  larger  than  the  stalk  and  leaves  of 
other  races,  hence  it  makes  more  forage.  Its  ears 
are  larger,  hence  it  makes  a  large  yield.  As  a  result 
of  tests  for  three  years  at  the  Pennsylvania  Experi- 
ment Station  it  was  found  that  the  dent  corn  nearly 

doubled  the  yield 
of  the  flint  corn. 
The  dent  husks 
do  not  cling  to 
the  ear  so  closely 
as  the  flint  husks 
do,  hence  the  dents 
are  more  easily 
husked.  The  ker- 
nels of  the  dent  are 
softer  than  those 
of  the  flint  corn, 
hence  animals  can 
more  easily  chew  the  grains.  As  a  rule,  however, 
dent  corns  need  a  longer  growing-season  than  the 
other  kinds  do.  Therefore  they  will  not  suit  cold 
climates,  where  the  growing-seasons  are  short. 

With  all  these  qualities  in  its  favor,  why  does  not 
dent  corn  take  the  place  of  flint  corn  on  our  farms  ? 
It  is  because  flint  corn  is  finely  suited  to  cool 
climates  on  account  of  its  ripening  earlier  than  dent 
corn.  If  you  look  out  of  a  train  window  and  see 
large  fields  of  flint  corn,  you  may  be  sure  that  you 


Fig.  28.    Highly  Bred  Dent  Ears 


RACES  OF  CORN  43 

are  in  a  cool  climate.  This  race  is  very  useful  for 
forage,  as  it  produces  many  suckers  and  its  leaves 
and  stalks  are  not  as  woody  as  those  of  the  dent. 
The  hardness  of  the  flint  kernels  makes  this  kind  of 
corn  excellent  for  long  sea  voyages.  It  owes  this  ex- 
cellence to  two  qualities :  first,  after  its  kernels  once 
dry  out,  they  do  not  readily  take  up  enough  moisture 
to  spoil ;  second,  the  hardness  keeps  insects  from 
injuring  the  kernels. 

There  has  been  a  remarkable  increase  from  year 
to  year  in  the  amount  of  corn  canned.  This,  added 
to  a  growing  fondness  for  fresh  sweet  corn  for  our 
tables,  has  caused  a  great  increase  in  the  planting 
of  sweet  corns.  Canners  use  this  kind  of  corn  almost 
entirely  because  its  kernels  are  so  rich  in  sugar.  By 
carefully  selecting  suitable  seed,  sweet  corn  may  be 
grown  in  almost  any  climate  in  which  other  corns 
will  grow.  As  this  kind  of  corn  suckers  freely,  it  is 
valuable  for  forage. 

Since  the  invention  of  movable  machines  for  pop- 
ping the  kernels  of  pop  corn,  and  since  merchants 
and  street  sellers  have  found  a  ready  sale  for  the 
crisp  popped  kernels,  there  -has  been  a  widening 
area  planted  in  pop  corn.  In  almost  every  town 
the  pop-corn  wagon  with  its  ovens  for  heating  the 
kernels  is  as  familiar  a  sight  as  fruit  stands  or  cigar 
stores.  Except  for  its  use  in  this  form  pop  corn  has 
little  market  value.  Hence  it  is  not  necessary  to 
consider  it  in  further  detail. 


44  CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Draw  in  your  own  way  the  endosperms  of  each  of  the  four 
leading  races  of  corn. 

2.  After  soaking  a  grain  of  corn  for  some  hours,  split  the 
kernel,  and  see  if  you  cannot  cut  out  the  germ.  Make  a  rough 
drawing  of  it  as  it  looks  to  you. 

3.  If  a  pop-corn  kernel  contained  as  much  hard  starch  as  a 
dent  or  flint  kernel,  would  it  pop .''  Why  will  it  not  pop  until  after 
it  has  been  gathered  for  some  time  ? 

4.  If  you  were  going  to  move  from  Texas  to  Maine,  and  had 
a  splendid  Texas  seed  corn,  give  reasons  why  you  would  not 
trouble  to  take  this  seed  corn  for  planting  in  your  new  home. 

5.  Name  a  few  states  in  which  you  would  expect  only  flint 
corn  to  be  grown  as  a  field  corn. 

6.  Explain  why  flint  and  pop  corn  have  no  dents  in  their 
kernels. 

7.  Explain  why  sweet  corn  is  wrinkled. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  GROWING  PLANT 

If  you  work  hard  or  if  you  play  hard,  you  need, 
in  order  to  keep  up  your  strength,  food,  water,  air, 
and  sunshine.  The  making  of  seeds  and  fruit  is 
the  work  of  the  plant.  In  order  that  the  plant 
may  do  its  work  it  must  have  food,  water,  air,  and 
sunshine.  The  water,  air,  and  sunshine  which  the 
plant  uses  are  just  like  the  water,  air,  and  sunshine 
which  you  use.  So  far,  then,  you  and  the  plant  are 
alike  in  3'our  needs.  The  food  of  the  plant,  of 
course,  is  not  like  yours.  How  does  its  food  differ 
from  the  bread  and  meat  and  vegetables  on  which 
you  live  ?  The  plant  after  its  first  few  days  of  life 
lives  (i)  on  water  and  the  plant  food  which  water 
holds  and  (2)  on  the  carbon  dioxide  which  it  gets 
from  the  air. 

All  animals,  including  mankind,  live  on  plants, 
for  the  animals  w^hich  man  eats  feed  on  plants. 
The  more  we  can  get  plants  to  do  for  us  the  better 
we  live.  Is  it  not  worth  while  to  study  the  life  of 
plants  so  that  by  proper  feeding  and  tending  we 
may  get  them  to  do  their  best  for  us  ?  We  do  not 
know  the  plant  until  we  learn  how  it  begins  its  life, 
how  it  feeds  during  its  early  and  later  days,  how  it 

45 


46 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


grows,  and  how  it  flowers  and  fruits.  We  must,  in 
order  to  get  this  knowledge  of  the  corn  plant,  learn 
what  are  the  duties  of  the  germ,  the  roots,  the  stem, 
the  leaves,  the  tassel,  and  the  silk. 

The  germ,  or  embryo,  from  which  the  new  corn 
shoot  springs,   is,  as   we   saw   in   the   last  chapter, 

safely  housed  in  the 
center  of  the  kernel. 
There  it  is  so  thoroughly 
protected  that  it  can 
live  a  long  time.  Around 
the  germ  lies  the  en- 
dosperm, which  is  also 
carefully  sheltered  by 
the  horny  gluten.  So 
carefully  has  nature 
wrapped  the  germ  and 
the  endosperm  within 
the  hard  walls  of  the 
kernel  that  the  germ 
keeps  its  power  to  sprout 
for  from  two  to  four  years.  It  is  not  safe,  however, 
to  plant  kernels  after  they  are  two  years  old. 

When  you  fill  the  seed  box  on  your  corn-planter 
with  dry,  dead-looking  seed  .  kernels,  you  almost 
wonder  whether  there  is  any  life  in  them.  However, 
with  a  faith  born  of  experience,  you  plant  the  kernels. 
If  the  ground  is  in  good  condition  and  the  season 
favorable,  those  dry,  dead-looking  kernels  send  up 


Fig.  29. 


The  Plant  starts 
TO  Grow 


48 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


living  shoots  within  a  few  days.  What  moved  the 
kernels  to  life  ?  What  did  they  find  in  the  soil  that 
they  did  not  find  in  the  crib  ?  Did  they  not  find  the 
four  things  spoken  of  at  the  beginning  of  this  les- 
son,—  air,  warmth  from  the  sun,  moisture,  and  food? 


Fig.  31.    The  Ditch  takes  away  Excess  Water 

You  understand  at  once  how  the  buried  kernels 
got  their  air,  moisture,  and  warmth,  but  do  you 
know  how  they  obtained  their  food?  As  soon  as 
those  dry  kernels  felt  the  spring  air,  were  wrapped 
in  the  spring  warmth,  and  were  soaked  in  spring 
moisture,  their  germs  swelled  into  life.  At  their 
awakening  the  germs  had  no  roots  with  which  to 
feed.  Hence,  while  they  were  forming  roots,  the 
young  plants  in  the  germs  lived  on  their  endosperms. 


THE  GROWING  PLANT 


49 


By  the  time  the  plants  had  used  up  the  food  of  the 
endosperms  their  roots  were  ready,  if  the  soil  was 
in  good  condition,  to  support  the  young  plant. 

APPLYING  THE  LESSON 

1.  How  can  you  help  the  soil  to  get  air?  Look  at  the  field 
shown  in  Fig.  30.  It  has  been  deeply  plowed,  and  then  harrowed 
until  the  soil  is  open  and  finely  grained.  Cannot  plenty  of  air 
press  into  such  soil  ? 

2.  How  can  you 
help  the  soil  to  get 
warmth  ?  Will  not  the 
deep  plowing,  and  the 
harrowing,  and  fining 
of  the  soil  described 
above  open  the  way 
for  sunshine  to  flood 
into  the  soil  ? 

3.  How  can  you 
help    the   soil   to   get 

enough  moisture  and  yet  keep  it  from  getting  such  an  amount  as  to 
drown  the  young  plant?  In  Fig.  31  we  see  one  way  to  help.  Do  not 
the  ditches  like  the  one  shown  in  the  figure  carry  away  water  that 
would  keep  the  ground  cold  and  soggy?  Note  in  Fig.  32  how  hard 
the  soil  is  packed.  \\'ould  water  run  off  such  soil  or  would  it  sink 
in  to  be  used  at  need  by  the  young  plant  ?  Do  you  see,  then,  that 
if  you  want  the  tiny  young  plant  to  get  the  air,  moisture,  warmth, 
and  food  that  will  enable  it  to  do  its  best  for  you,  you  must  give 
it  a  deeply  tilled,  harrowed,  and  fined  seed  bed  in  which  to  grow  ? 

As  soon  as  the  germ  awakens  into  life  it  sends 
a  tiny  root,  known  as  the  root  sprout  (Fig.  ^2))y  '^^'^^^ 
the  soil.    This  root  sprout  branches  later  and  forms 


Fig.  32.   A  Packed  Soil 


50 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


other  roots.  These  are  called  the  seed  roots  and 
are  marked  i  in  Fig.  34.  They  feed  the  youi-ig 
plant  until  the  first  green  leaf,  shown  as  the  stem 
sprout  in  Fig.  35,  appears  above  the  ground.  Then 
follow  the  roots  shown  at  2  in  Fig.  34.  These,  since 
they  grow  from  the  stem  and  not  from  the  kernel, 
are  called  the  first  roots.  As  soon  as  they  start  to 
grow,  they  seek  the  topsoil,  where 
they  find  the  warmth  which  en- 
ables them  to  gather  food  for  the 
young  plant.  These  roots  feed  the 
growing  plant  for  some  weeks. 

Next  follow  the  circle  roots, 
shown  at  3  in  Fig.  34.  They  are 
called  circle  roots  because  they 
grow  out  from  one  of  the  joints, 
f  iG.  33.  Root  Sprout  or  nodes,  of  the  stem,  like  spokes 
from  the  hub  of  a  wheel.  Their 
manner  of  growing  is  shown  in  the  small  drawing 
in  the  lower  right  corner  of  Fig.  34.  They  grow 
rapidly  and  are  sometimes  eight  feet  in  length. 
They  are  the  plant's  main  food-gatherers,  and  send 
out  many  smaller  roots  where  warmth  and  moisture 
and  food  can  be  found.  Then,  at  a  higher  joint  of 
the  stem  (marked  4,  in  Fig.  34),  the  second  circle 
roots  begin  their  work;  at  a  still  higher  joint 
(marked  5),  the  third  circle  roots  spread  out. 

From  a  joint  just  above  the  ground  (marked  6), 
the  brace  roots,  which  keep  the  stalk  steady  as  it 


THE  GROWING  PLANT 


51 


grows,  shoot  downward.  Note  that  the  roots  start- 
ing at  3  grow  straight  out  at  first  and  later  turn 
down,  but  that  those  starting  at  4,  5,  and  6  grow 
straight  downward.  Since  they  go  deeper  into  the 
soil    than    the    other    roots    they   are   often   called 


Fig.  34.   Root  System 

the  subsoil  roots.  When  the  corn  plant  is  fruiting, 
these  subsoil  roots  act  like  a  pump  to  draw  water 
from  the  soil  into  the  plant.  If  they  are  cut  the 
plant  is,  of  course,  much  injured. 

As  the  plant  grows,  it  forms  a  mass  of  roots, 
spreading  for  several  feet  in  all  directions.  In 
Fig.  38  note  how  the  roots  spread  from  row  to  row 
and  how  near  some  of  them  are  to  the  surface. 


52 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


FEEDING 
ROOTS 

STEM  SPROUT 


Soon  after  the  roots  of  the  corn  plant  begin  to 
grow,  fuzzy  hairs  (see  Fig.  36)  form  near  the  tips  of 
the  roots.    These  hairs  are  very  useful,  for  through 

them  the  plant  gets 
its  food  from  the  soil. 
The  larger  roots  do 
not  take  food  from 
the  soil ;  they  merely 
carry  food  from  the 
root  hairs  to  the  plant. 
How  do  the  hairs 
on  the  roots  get  the 
soil-food  which  the 
plant  needs  .f*  In  this 
way :  the  water  of 
the  soil  dissolves  the 
plant  food,  just  as 
water  dissolves  sugar, 
and  holds  this  food  in 
solution  in  the  same 
way  that  water  holds 
sugar.  With  its  food 
in  solution  the  water 
is  taken  up  by  the  root  hairs.  Therefore,  in  Fig.  t^j, 
the  hairy  roots  at  work  in  the  soil  are  called  the 
mine.  The  larger  roots  then  carry  the  watery  food 
to  the  stem,  and  the  stem  carries  it  up  to  the  leaves. 
Hence  these  larger  roots  and  the  stem  are  called 
the  transportation  system. 


ROOT  SPROUT 


Fig.  35.    Stem  Sprout 


THE  GROWING  PLANT 


53 


In  the  leaves  the  plant  food  brought  from  the  soil 
meets  another  form  of  food.  This  is  the  food  which 
the  leaves  have  drawn  from  the  air.  From  the  two 
is  formed  the  food  needed  for  the  growth  of  every 
part  of  the  corn  plant.  Hence  the  leaves  are  called 
the  factory  where 
food  is  made.  As 
soon  as  the  new 
foods  are  formed 
they  are  distrib- 
uted by  the  sap 
currents  of  the 
stalk  to  all  parts 
of  the  stalk  and 
to  the  roots. 

The  food  thus 
distributed  is,  of 
course,  used  for 
the  growth  of  the 
plant,  and  espe- 
cially for  the  development  of  the  full-grained  ear. 
The  ear,  since  it  finally  receives  so  much  of  the 
plant  food,  may  be  called  the  storehouse  of  the 
plant.  Whenever  you  look  at  a  cornstalk  try  to 
remember  first,  that  the  roots  are  to  hold  the  plant 
in  place  and  to  take  food  from  the  soil;  second, 
that  the  stem  is  to  lift  the  leaves  and  flowers  high 
enough  to  get  air  and  sunlight  and  to  transport 
food    material   from    the    roots    to    the    leaves  and 


Fig.  36.    Root  Hairs  on  Main  Roots 


54 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Tassel 


then  to  the  entire  plant ;  third,  that  the  leaves  are 
like  a  factory  in  which   the  food   from    the    roots 

and  the  food  which 
the  leaves  draw 
from  the  air  is 
made  into  nour- 
ishment for  the 
entire  plant. 

APPLYING  THE 
LESSON 

1.  Corn  roots,  as  you 
see  in  Fig.  38,  spread 
from  row  to  row  in  from 
thirty  to  fifty  clays.  You 
have  just  seen  how  nec- 
essary these  roots  are 
to  the  plant's  growth. 
Can  a  corn-grower  afford 
to  injure  these  roots .'' 
Would  you,  therefore, 
after  the  corn  is  six  or 
eight  inches  high,  culti- 
vate with  a  deep  plow .'' 
About  how  deep  should 
you  cultivate  ?  Would 
it  be  safer  to  cultivate 
deeply  when  the  plant 
is  very  young  than  after 
it  is  older  ?   See  Fig.  39. 

2.   Keeping  in  mind  how  the  leaves  help  to  feed  the  plant,  do 
you  think  it  a  good  practice  to  "  pull  fodder  "  ? 


Transporta- 
lion  system   by 
which  ptaul 
food  is 
carried 


Mine  from, 
which  alt 
plant  food 
except  carbon 
,  is  obtained 


Primary  root 

Fic.  37.    Plant  at  Work 


THE  GROWING  PLANT 


55 


Fig.  38.   Roots  extend  from  Row  to  Row 


3.  Roots  in  their 
growth  will  not  cross 
wide  spaces  in  the 
soil.  What  injury  is 
done  the  future  plant 
if  the  grower  puts  its 
seed  in  cloddy  or  ill- 
broken  soil .''  How 
can  you  avoid  this 
injury.?  Could  you 
wisely  say,  T  Spare 
the  harrow  arid  spoil 
the  plant " .? 

4.  As  water  is  the  only  agent  to  dissolve  plant  food  in  the  soil, 
can  you  allow  any  water  in  a  well-drained  soil  to  be  lost  ?  How 
will  keeping  a  dr}^  mulch  on  top  of  the  soil  save  moisture?    Will 

a    good    corn-grower        ^ 

follow  the  old  saying, 
"  Cultivate  your  corn 
four  times  and  then 
quit "  ? 

The  cornstalk, 
made  up  of  roots, 
stem,  and  leaves, 
the  uses  of  which 
we  have  just  seen, 
bears  the  flowers 
and  fruit.  You 
no  doubt  know 
that  the  tassel 
and    silk   are    tlie       Fio,  39.    Feeding  Roots  fill  the  Soil 


56       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

flowers,  and  the  ear  is  the  fruit.  Without  the  flowers 
there  would  be  no  fruit,  or  filled-out  ear.  How  do  the 
tassel  and  silk  aid  the  ear  in  filling  out  its  kernels  ? 
Corn,  unlike  most  field  crops,  has  its  flowers  in 
two  separate  places.  The  tassel,  which  is  one  of  the 
flowers,  is,  as  you  have  seen  all  your  lives,  at  the 


Fig.  40.    Corn  Silks  leading  to  each  Kernel 

top  of  the  stalk.  The  silk,  which  is  the  other  part 
of  the  flowers,  is  at  the  tip  of  the  ears.  What  does 
the  tassel  do  for  the  ear?  It  bears  the  small  yellow 
grains  called  pollen.  The  tassel  forms  a  great  deal  of 
pollen  and  the  wind  scatters  it  far  and  wide.  After  a 
wind  or  a  gentle  shower  in  tasseling  time,  you  have 
no  doubt  seen  the  ground  almost  covered  with  pollen. 
It  is  said  that  for  every  grain  of  pollen  needed  by  the 
silk  six  thousand  grains  are  produced  by  the  tassels. 


THE  GROWING  PLANT 


57 


The  silk  too  is  abundant.  What  does  it  do  for 
the  ear?  A  close  look  at  Fig.  40  will  help  you  to 
understand  the  duty  of  the  silk  and  the  pollen.  On 
the  cob  you  see  rows  of  unformed  ker- 
nels. They  are  just  ready  to  grow,  but 
they  will  not  grow  until  both  pollen 
and  silk  have  done  their  part.  From 
each  tiny  kernel  you  notice  that  a  sin- 
gle thread  of  silk  forms  and  makes  its 
way  to  the  tip  of  the  ear.  As  there  are 
many  kernels,  there  are  many  threads 
dangling  from  the  ear.  These  silks  are 
nature's  traps  to  catch  the  pollen  from 
the  tassel  above  and  bear  it  to  the  wait- 
ing kernels.  No  kernel  will  grow  until 
a  grain  of  pollen  drops  on  its  silk  and 
grows  down  the  silk  tube  to  that  kernel. 
Just  as  soon  as  the  kernels  receive  the 
pollen  from  their  silks  they  push  out- 
ward in  vigorous  growth.  If  a  single 
kernel  fails  to  get  its  grain  of  pollen, 
it  will  remain  unformed,  or  barren,  as 
it  is  called.  In  Fig.  41  you  can  see 
an  ear  in  which  some  silks  failed  to 
carry  their  pollen,  and  the  barren 
kernels  resulted.  If  all  the  silks  in  an  ear  fail  in 
their  job  you  will  have  a  cob  without  grain ;  or  if 
some  fail  and  others  do  not,  you  will  have  partly 
filled  ears,  such  as  are  shown  in  Fig.  42. 


Fig.  41.  Silks 
failed  to  do 
THEIR  Work 


5S 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


The  ear  grows  out  from  the  stalk  on  a  short 
branch  known  as  the  shank.  The  ear  is  made  up  of 
husks  to  protect  the  tender  kernels  from  weather 
and    insects,    of   cob    to    hold    the   kernels,   and   of 

kernels  to  pro- 
duce new  stalks. 
The  shank  grows 
out  from  a  joint, 
or  node,  as  it 
is  called,  on  the 
main  stem.  If  the 
shank  grows  too 
long,  as  we  shall 
see  in  the  discus- 
sion of  the  shank, 
the  weight  of  the 
ear  is  likely  to 
break  the  shank 
from  the  stalk.  If 
the  shank  is  too 
short  the  ear  is 
held  so  straight 
that  too  much  rain  may  enter  and  cause  mold. 

In  some  ears  the  husks  fit  tightly  around  the  ear. 
In  others  they  inclose  the  ear  loosely.  Usually  the 
husks  entirely  cover  the  ear,  but  sometimes  they 
grow  too  short.  In  this  case  the  tip  of  the  ear  is,  of 
course,  left  uncovered,  and  birds  and  insects  find  it 
easy  to  rob  the  ear. 


Fig.  42 


Ears  showing  Failure  of  Silks 
TO  CARRY  Pollen 


THE  GROWING  PLANT  59 

The  stalk  may  have  only  one  ear  or  it  may  have 
several.  Pop  corns  usually  bear  more  ears  than 
either  the  flint  or  dent  corns.  A  single  pop-corn 
stalk  has  been  known  to  produce  as  many  as  nine- 
teen ears.  As  a  rule,  flint  corn  is  likely  to  have 
more  ears  than  dent  corn.  The  number  of  row^s  of 
kernels  on  the  cob  varies  greatly.  In  the  most  com- 
mon kinds  there  are  usually  from  eight  to  twenty 
rows.  The  number  of  rows  is  always  an  even  number. 
If  odd  numbers  do  occasionally  occur,  they  are  the 
result  of  some  injury  to  the  tassel.  Each  breed  of 
corn  generally  has  a  fixed  number  of  rows.  For 
example.  Hickory  King  usually  has  eight  rows; 
Horsetooth,  twelve  row^s;  but  some,  like  Ladysmith, 
vary  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  rows.  Of  course  an 
increase  in  the  number  of  rows  will  give  an  increase 
in  the  number  of  grains.  You  must  not  think,  how- 
ever, that  an  increase  in  the  number  of  grains  will 
necessarily  give  a  larger  yield,  for  the  grains  may  be 
smaller  and  hence  weigh  less. 

The  number  of  grains  to  the  ear  varies  greatly  in 
different  kinds  of  corn  and  varies  with  the  season 
and  the  richness  of  the  soil. 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  When  will  a  kernel  not  sprout  ? 

2.  In  what  way  does  your  food  differ  from  the  food  of  a  corn 
plant  ? 

3.  How  does  lack  of  rain  cut  off  a  plant's  rations  ? 


6o       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

4.  From  the  way  in  which  a  plant  grows,  explain  how  hail  or 
army  worms  injure  corn. 

5.  If  you  were  to  tie  a  paper  sack  over  an  ear  of  com  when 
pollen  was  just  forming,  would  grains  grow  on  the  cob  ?   Why  not  ? 

6.  If  you  wanted  to  share  a  neighbor's  improved  kind  of  com 
seed,  could  you  do  it  by  planting  your  corn  near  his  and  cutting 
all  your  corn  tassels  off  before  they  formed  pollen  ? 

7.  Could  you  expect  a  good  ear  of  corn  from  a  stalk  growing 
alone  in  the  middle  of  a  forty-acre  field  ? 

8.  It  takes  about  sixty  gallons  of  water  to  grow  one  pound  of 
dry  cornstalk.  How  much  water  will  be  needed  for  a  yield  of  six 
thousand  pounds  of  dry  cornstalk,  •  which  is  about  the  amount 
produced  by  an  acre  yielding  forty  bushels  ? 


CHAPTER  VI 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 

Man,  with  all  his  boasted  powers,  is  very  help- 
less in  controlling  the  yield  of  his  crops.  There  are 
only  three  ways  in  which  he  can, 
by  his  own  work,  increase  the 
yield  of  his  plants.  These  are 
first,  by  selecting  the  best  seed ; 
second,  by  cultivating  in  the 
wisest  way,  including  proper  drain- 
age of  the  soil ;  third,  by  fertil- 
izing the  soil  so  as  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  soil  and  of  the  plant. 
These  are  his  only  weapons,  for, 
of  course,  man's  share  in  produc- 
tion is  puny  in  comparison  with 
what  nature  does  in  providing 
life,  rainfall,  and  sunshine.  Surely, 
then,  man  ought  to  learn  to  use 
his  three  weapons  in  a  masterful 
way.  The  ear  shown  in  Fig.  43  is 
a  result  of  the  wise  use  of  these 
three  weapons.  At  a  corn  show  its  perfect  breeding 
won  a  prize  of  a  thousand  dollars.    The  giving  of 

this  prize  shows  people's  interest  in  seed. 

61 


Fig.  43.  A  Thousand- 
Dollar  Trophy  Ear 


62 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Every  young  plant  which  grows  from  a  seed 
Hves  for  a  time  on  the  food  which  is  stored  in  the 
seed.  Its  start,  its  vigor,  —  in  truth,  all  its  power 
to  grow,  —  must   be    drawn  from   the   dying   seed. 

Can  the  farmer,  then,  who 
depends  for  success  on 
hardy,  fruitful  plants  busy 
himself  about  anything  more 
important  than  good  seed  ? 
Compare  the  two  ears 
shown  at  A  and  B  in  Fig.  44. 
Do  you  notice  any  very  great 
difference  between  them  ? 
Are  they  not  about  the  same 
size  ?  Do  not  their  grains 
seem  equally  sound  and 
equally  well  formed  ?  Are 
there  not  about  as  many 
grains  on  one  as  on  the 
other?  Yet,  in  spite  of  their 
seeming  equality  of  value, 
the  one  marked  A  sold  at 
auction  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars;  the  one  marked 
B  can  be  bought  on  any  corn  market  for  a  few  cents. 
Can  you  give  the  reason  why  one  so  far  surpasses 
the  other  in  price  ? 

If  you  have  ever  tried  to  buy  a  registered  pig 
or  a  registered  calf  you  will  easily  understand  the 


Fig.  44.     Ears    Alike    in 
Appearance    but    Differ- 
ent IN  Value 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS  63 

difference  in  the  price  of  these  two  ears.  You 
always  find  in  buying  an  animal  from  a  noted  strain 
that  you  have  to  pay  a  higher  price  than  when 
you  buy  an  animal  from  an  unknown  breed.  The 
famous  breed  has  already  proved  its  value  for 
several  generations. 

It  is  the  same  way  with  the  two  corn  ears.  For 
twenty  corn  generations  the  seed  from  which  A 
was  grown  had  been  selected  in  the  field  as  showing 
the  best  traits  of  a  good  ear.  This  high-priced  ear 
had  the  best  traits  of  these  twenty  generations.  The 
buyer  was  sure  that  with  good  seasons  and  proper 
cultivation  this  ear  would  produce  the  kind  of  stalk, 
ear,  and  grain  that  he  wanted.  The  ear  marked  B 
had  no  such  history ;  it  was  chosen  from  a  pile  of 
corn  because  it  looked  well.  The  corn  grown  from 
it  might  be  good  or  it  might  be  poor.  There  was 
no  certainty  that  even  under  the  best  conditions  its 
grains  would  produce  such  corn  as  a  grower  would 
be  proud  of.  Is  it,  then,  remarkable  that  a  farmer 
v/ho  grows  thousands  of  bushels  of  corn  each  year 
was  willing  to  pay  a  handsome  price  for  just  such 
seed  as  he  was  sure  would  produce  a  paying  crop? 

If  you  are  planning  to  plant  one  acre,  or  a  thou- 
sand acres,  what  then  is  the  first  thing  for  you  to 
decide?  Is  it  not  that  you  will  plant  only  the  very 
best  seed  ?  There  are  three  ways  in  which  to  get 
seed.    They  are  as  follows  : 

First,  buy  it  from  a  distant  grower  or  dealer. 


64 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Second,  buy  it  from  a  neighbor. 
Third,  raise  it  yourself. 

Which  one  of  these  ways  is  best?  Let  us  see. 
Frequently  at  corn  shows  or  at  fairs  a  grower  in 

search  of  good  seed  finds 
excellent  ears  of  corn. 
Often  in  seed  catalogues 
he  sees  cuts  of  splendid- 
looking  ears  similar  to 
those  shown  in  Fig.  45. 
He  may  think  that  if  he 
plants  seed  from  these 
ears  he  will  get  equally 
good  ears.  This  is  not 
necessarily  true,  however, 
for  several  reasons : 

First,  as  we  have  just 

seen,    these   showy  ears 

may  have    no    inherited 

good  traits.  They  may  or 

may  not  produce  ears  as 

good  as  themselves. 

Second,  even  if  the  ears  shown  are  from  the  very 

best  strains  of  corn  which  have  been  carefully  bred 

for  years,    they  may  not  produce  well   away  from 

their  own  homes. 

Third,  corn  does  best  in  soils  like  that  on  which  it 
grew.  These  ears  may  have  grown  on  soil  very  differ- 
ent from  that  in  which  the  grower  wants  to  plant. 


Fig.  45.  Showy  Ears  that  may 
not  meet  your  needs 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS  65 

Fourth,  the  best  seed  corn  is  apt  to  lose  in  value 
if  planted  on  land  that  is  not  about  the  same  level 
above  the  sea  as  the  land  on  which  it  has  been  bred. 
If  these  showy  ears  grew  on  land  either  much 
higher  or  much  lower  than  the  land  on  which  they 
are  to  be  planted,  they  would  not  be  certain  to 
make  the  best  seed. 

Corn  seed  usually  produces  most  heavily  in  the 
sections  in  which  it  was  bred.  Tests  at  several  of 
the  experiment  stations  show  a  difference  of  from 
two  to  thirty-one  bushels  an  acre  in  favor  of  home- 
grown seed.  Hence,  if  you  decide  to  buy  your  seed 
corn,  it  will  be  best  to  buy  from  some  honest, 
careful  breeder  in  your  own  section  or,  better  still, 
in  your  own  county. 

A  change  from  east  to  west  or  from  west  to  east 
does  not  generally  make  so  much  difference  in 
climate  as  does  a  change  from  north  to  south  or 
from  south  to  north.  Therefore,  in  buying  seed 
a  grower  will  do  well  to  buy  from  sellers  east  or 
west  rather  than  very  far  north  or  much  south 
of  his  farm. 

If  you  are  going  to  buy  seed  corn  you  will  do 
well  to  remember  four  things : 

First,  buy  the  seed  in  the  ear.  You  can  then  see  the 
entire  ear  and  tell  whether  it  is  the  kind  you  want. 
You  can  examine  grain,  rows,  butts,  tips,  and  cob. 

Second,  if  your  farm  is  in  a  climate  in  which  frost 
comes  early,  you  had   better  buy  your  seed  from 


66 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


sellers  north  rather  than  very  far  south  of  your 
home ;  such  seed  ripens  in  less  time  than  Southern 
seeds  which  have  a  long  growing-season.  On  the 
other  hand,  seed  from  a  cold  climate  is  not  good 
for  a  Southern  farm  :   the  corn  does  not  use  all  of 

the  growing-season ; 
hence  the  yield  will 
fall  short. 

Third,    good    seed 

bought  at  a  distance 

is  likely  to  do  better 

after   the    second    or 

third  year  than  it  will 

the   first  year.    Corn 

makes  itself  at  home 

in  a  few  years. 

Fourth,  do  not  stake 

your  whole   crop   on   any   one    kind    of    new   seed. 

Wait  until  the  seed  has  proved  itself  good  before 

you  risk  an  entire  crop. 

APPLYING  THE   LESSON 

1.  If  you  live  in  Indiana  would  you  be  safe  in  buying  seed  corn 
from  Georgia  ?  If  you  live  in  Georgia  would  you  do  well  to  buy 
even  the  best  seed  from  Illinois  ? 

2.  Why  should  you  not  buy  seed  from  the  mountain  section  of 
Tennessee  if  you  want  to  plant  on  the  prairies  of  Kansas  ? 

3.  At  a  corn  show  in  Chicago  a  boy  from  North  Carolina  was 
struck  by  the  fine  ears  of  corn  shown  in  Fig.  46.  Could  he  safely 
stake  his  crop  on  seeds  from  these  ears  ? 


Fig.  46.    Show  Ears 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS  67 

4.  Two  stalks  of  corn  grew  in  the  same  ro\v.  They  were  each 
equally  distant  from  neighboring  stalks,  were  planted,  cultivated, 
and  fertilized,  in  the  same  way.  Of  these  two,  one  produced  more 
grain  than  the  other.    Why  .'' 

5.  Suppose  a  bushel  of  corn  will  plant  seven  acres,  and  that 
one  bushel  of  poor  seed  costs  seventy  cents  and  one  bushel  of  fine 
seed  costs  two  dollars  and  ten  cents.  If  the  better  seed  yields  four 
bushels  an  acre  more  than  the  first,  was  it  not  cheaper  to  pay  tv/o 
dollars  and  ten  cents  for  the  seed  than  to  pay  seventy  cents  ? 

Instead  of  buying  your  seed,  however,  you  will 
find  it  far  more  interesting  and  more  profitable  to 
raise  your  own  seed.  To  do  this  you  will  have  to 
learn  to  tell  a  good  stalk  and  a  good  ear  in  order 
to  select  the  best  for  seed. 

The  Stalk 

You  would  not  expect  a  weak,  sickly  man  to  be 
able  to  dig  a  deep  ditch  for  you.  Could  you  any 
more  expect  a  weak,  sickly  stalk  to  bear  a  well- 
fruited  ear  of  corn  ?  Must  you  not  have  a  vigorous 
stalk  if  you  wish  a  vigorous  ear?  Do  not  forget, 
however,  that  by  a  vigorous  stalk  we  do  not  mean 
a  tall  stalk.  Cornstalks  vary  in  height  from  six  to 
twenty  feet ;  sometimes  they  grow  even  taller.  How- 
ever, plants  above  ten  feet  in  height  seem  to  spend 
their  strength  in  making  too  much  stalk  instead  of 
grain.  On  the  other  hand,  a  small,  feeble  stalk  will 
not  make  a  fine  ear.  Compare  the  size  of  the  two 
ears  in  Figs.  47  and  48.    The  stalk  shown  in  Fig.  47 


68 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Fig.  47.    A  Healthy  Stalk 


has  a  good  body;  its 
blades  are  wide  and 
abundant ;  it  is  thick 
at  the  bottom  and  ta- 
pers gradually  toward 
the  top ;  if  you  could 
see  its  roots,  you  would 
find  them  thick,  feed- 
ing widely,  and  brac- 
ing the  stalk  against 
winds.  The  stalk  in 
Fig.  48  is,  as  you  see, 
undersized;  its  leaves 
are  scant  and  nar- 
row; hence  its  ear  is 
small.  Compare  also 
the  two  ears  in  these 
figures.  Each  is  what 
might  be  expected 
from  its  stalk.  Shall 
you  not,  then,  start 
your  seed  selection 
notebook  records  with 
the  following  entry? 

Note  i.  My  seed  should 
come  from  a  well-grown,  vig- 
orous, abundantly  bladed,  well- 
shaped,  well-rooted  stalk,  one 
that  is  not  too  tall  nor  yet 
too  low. 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


69 


Height  of  Ear  on  the  Stalk. 

As  you  see  in  Fig.  49,  the  different  kinds  of  corn 
vary  much  not  only  in  the  height  of  their  stalks  but 
also  in  the  height  of  the  ears  on  the  stalk.  You 
would  have  to 
jump  to  gather 
the  ear  on  the 
right  stalk  and 
stoop  to  pull  the 
ear  on  the  left 
stalk.  If  you  are 
to  gather  your 
own  corn,  would 
you  not  prefer 
the  ears  to  grow 
at  a  convenient 
height  from  the 
ground  ?  Look  at 
the  ideal  hill  of 
stalks  with  their 
ears  at  the  same 
height  from  the 
ground  in  Fig.  50. 
If  you  prefer  growing  corn  with  that  sort  of  stalk,  you 
will  have  to  plant  seed  that  will  make  such  stalks. 

If  your  corn  ever  shows  a  desire  to  grow  its  ears 
too  high  on  the  stalk,  you  can,  by  selecting  seed 
ears  from  stalks  having  low  ears,  check  this  desire. 


Fig.  48.    A  Feeble  Stalk 


70 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


On  the  other  hand,  if  the  ears  begin  to  grow  too 
low  on  the  stalk,  you  can  likewise,  by  selecting  seed 
from    ears   higher  from    the   ground,  prevent    this 

trouble.  In  Fig. 51 
the  corn  on  the 
left  has  been  bred 
from  low-eared 
stalks.  The  line 
across  the  stalks 
shows  the  differ- 
ence in  height  of 
ears  in  the  two 
fields. 

But  comfort  of 
harvesting  is  not 
the  only  thing  to 
be  thought  of  in 
the  height  of  the 
ear.  Do  you  not 
recall  how  easy  it 
is  for  windstorms 
to  blow  over  your 
corn  in  spite  of  its  brace  roots?  Will  a  stalk  not 
blow  over  more  readily  if  the  ear  is  high  ? 

On  the  other  hand,  unless  you  want  your  corn 
to  ripen  early,  the  ears  ought  to  be  fairly  well  up 
from  the  ground.  As  a  rule,  ears  that  grow  low  on 
the  stalk  ripen  early  and  the  stalks  are  low.  Corn, 
to  make  heavy,  well-filled    ears,    needs   as    long  a 


Fig.  49.    Varvixg  Height  of  Stalks 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


71 


growing-season  as  the  climate  will  permit.  Hence 
the  low-eared  kinds,  inasmuch  as  they  do  not  use 
all  the  growing-season,  do  not  make  heavy  yields. 
Ears  that  grow  higher 
on  the  stalk  take 
more  time  to  mature. 
Hence,  under  favor- 
able conditions,  they 
can  produce  heavy 
ears.  The  stalk  on 
the  right  in  Fig.  49 
took  one  hundred 
and  thirty  days  to 
ripen  its  ear.  The 
one  on  the  left  took 
only  one  hundred  and 
five  days.  Of  course 
you  do  not  want  stalks 
that  are  very  tall,  for 
such  stalks  grow  in 
height  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  ear. 

However,  some  students  of  this  book  may  live  in 
sections  in  which,  on  account  of  early  frosts,  corn 
barely  has  time  to  ripen.  If  so,  those  students  have 
probably  seen  this  happen :  of  two  fields  planted  at 
the  same  time  and  tilled  in  the  same  wa}^,  one 
ripened  its  grain  before  frost ;  the  other  did  not,  and 
was  ruined.    Why  was  this?    The  next  time  any  of 


Fig.  50.    Ears  at  a  Convenient 
Height 


72 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


you  see  such  a  difference,  notice  the  position  of 
the  ears  on  the  stalk.  The  field  that  escaped  had 
stalks  with  low  ears.  Hence,  these  stalks  ripened 
faster  than  those  which  had  their  ears  high.  In 
such  a  climate  would  you  not  with  this  fact  in 
mind  select   seed  from   a  low-eared  kind   of  corn  ? 


pa     ■            , 

'^,':>»J                                                                                             'i^ 

91:. 

Fig.  51.    Chaxgixg  Height  of  Ears  i;v  iiREEDiNO 


In  Fig.  49  you  saw  at  what  different  heights  ears 
grow  on  the  stalks  in  some  fields.  Such  fields  are 
not  so  surely  pollinated  as  fields  in  which  the  ears 
grow  at  an  even  height.  Keep  three  facts  in  mind 
and  you  will  readily  see  why. 

First,  in  dry  climates  corn  pollen  lives  about 
three  days;  in  fairly  moist  climates,  from  seven  to 
eight  days. 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


73 


Second,  the  pollen  is  scattered  by  the  wind.  A  tassel 
does  not  necessarily  furnish  its  own  silk  with  pollen. 

Third,  ears  low  on  the  stalk  ripen  earlier  than 
those  higher. 

Now  in  a  field  such  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  49  some 
stalks  will  have  tassels  and  silk  ready  for  pollination 


Fig.  52.    Ears  Ready  for  Pollen  about  the  Same  Time 

sooner  than  others.  Hence  pollination  must  go  on 
from  day  to  day  from  a  comparatively  small  number 
of  stalks.  In  a  field  similar  to  that  shown  in  Fig.  52 
all  the  ears  are  ready  for  their  pollen  at  nearly  the 
same  time,  and  the  pollen  is  formed  about  the  same 
time.  Hence  the  pollen  falls  in  a  perfect  shower 
and  is  likely  to  reach  all  the  silks. 


74       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

We  are  now  ready,  are  we  not,  for  the  second 
entry  in  our  books?     It  will  be: 

Note  2.  I  will  select  my  seed  from  ears  that  are  borne  at  a  uniform 
height  on  the  stalk. 

The  Shank  of  the  Ear 

The  ear  grows  from  a  branch  of  the  stalk,  known 
as  the  shank.  Examine  the  way  in  which  the  ears 
in  Fig.  53  grow  from  their  stalks.  The  ears  on  the 
left  are  borne  on  short  shanks  which  hold  them  up 
almost  straight.  The  ears  on  the  right  have  longer 
shanks  and  hang  downward.  Unless  the  left  ear  is 
entirely  covered  at  the  tip  by  the  husk,  could  not 
rain  easily  enter  the  ear?  What  effect  would  this 
produce  ?  Could  rain  so  readily  make  its  way  into 
the  ear  on  the  right?  Would  this  ear,  then,  not  be 
a  safer  one  than  the  other  to  select  for  seed  ?  The 
shanks  of  the  center  ears  are  entirely  too  long.  In 
case  of  high  winds  these  ears  would  likely  be  torn 
from  the  stalk  and  rot  on  the  ground.  At  the 
Illinois  Experiment  Station,  stalks  with  straight-up 
ears  and  stalks  with  hanging  ears  were  bred.  It  was 
found  by  actual  count  that  the  hanging  ears  con- 
tained only  2  per  cent  of  moldy  or  rotted  ears,  while 
the  straight-up  ears  had  5  per  cent  of  such  ears. 

Are  we  not  ready  for  a  third  entry  in  our  note- 
book ? 

Note  3.  I  will  select  my  seed  from  ears  that  hang  down  from  the 
shank. 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


75 


Barren  Stalks 

Stalks  on  which  no  ears  are  borne  are  called 
barren  stalks.  Such  stalks  produce  tassels  and  shed 
their  pollen   like  other   stalks,   but   make   no   ears. 


A  B  c 

Fig.  53.    Bad  and  Good  Shanks 
A,  too  short ;  B,  too  long ;   C,  good 


or  onl)'  nubbins.  Sometimes  the  barren  stalks  grow 
to  full  size  and  look  perfectly  healthy.  However, 
most  of  these  stalks  show  a  lack  of  vigor.  Some 
corn-growers  think  that  as  many  as  one  ear  in  every 
seven  is  barren.  Would  this  mean  that  one  acre  in 
every  seven  produces  no  corn? 


76       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

If  one  of  these  barren  stalks  grows  beside  two 
productive  stalks,  would  it  injure  these  good  stalks? 
Would  it  not  steal  moisture  and  plant  food  from 
them  ?  Would  it  not  act  just  as  a  weed  acts  ?  Would 
it  be  well  for  the  pollen  from  such  a  stalk  to  fall  on 
the  silk  of  productive  stalks  ? 

Can  barren  stalks  be  prevented  ?  If  we  think  of 
the  reasons  for  such  stalks,  we  shall  see  some  ways 
to  lessen  greatly  their  number.  Among  these 
reasons  are  the  following:  (i)  injuries  from  insects 
and  disease  —  these  sap  the  vigor  of  the  plant  and 
leave  it  without  strength  to  produce  an  ear;  (2)  un- 
favorable soil  and  season;  (3)  too  thick  planting  — 
the  stalks  when  too  crowded  cannot  get  sufificient 
food ;  (4)  poor  tillage,  and  (5)  poorly  bred  seed. 
When  growers  till  and  fertilize  their  corn  well,  poor 
seed  is  the  most  frequent  cause  of  barren  stalks. 
Then   make   this  entry  in  your  notebook : 

Note  4.  To  keep  down  the  number  of  barren  stalks,  I  must  plant 
pure-bred  seed,  and  cultivate  and  fertilize  my  corn  with  all  the  skill  I  can. 

APPLYING  THE   LESSON 

A  member  of  the  Boys'  Clubs  bought  a  piece  of  poor  land  in 
South  Carolina.  He  was  afraid  of  barren  stalks  and  made  up  his 
mind  not  to  have  any  in  his  field.  The  first  spring  he  planted  his 
stalks  at  a  good  distance  from  one  another  in  the  row  and  put  the 
rows  wide  apart.  Was  this  right  .'*  He  picked  for  seed  some  large 
ears  from  his  crib.  Was  this  right  ?  He  had  a  dry  season  and 
tilled  his  corn  as  often  as  he  possibly  could.    Was  this  right  ? 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


11 


On  most  of  his  land  he  planted  cowpeas  at  the  last  tillage  of 
the  corn.  Was  this  right?  In  the  fall  he  followed  his  peas  by 
clover.  Was  this  right  ?  In  the  second  spring  he  planted  corn  after 
the  clover,  and  this  time  he  seeded  his  land  more  thickly.  Was 
this  right  ?  He  planted  this  year  some  South  Carolina  seed  that 
had  taken  the  first  prize  at  the  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  Corn 
Show.    Was  this  right  ? 

On  the  part  of  his  land  not  sown  in  peas  and  clover,  he  scattered 
stable  manure  rather  thickly.  Was  this  right?  On  this  land  too 
he  planted  more  closely  than  the  year  before.  Was  this  right  ? 
Here  he  tried  some  prize  seed  from  Mississippi.   Was  this  right  ? 

POINTS    FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Draw  a  corn  kernel  and  show  the  position  of  the  embryo. 
Show  also  in  the  drawing  where  the  food  for  the  embryo  is  stored. 

2.  His  neighbors  laughed  at  a  young  farmer  for  paying  forty 
dollars  for  an  ear  of  corn  for  his  seed  patch.  Explain  why  you 
think  he  may  not  have  been  wasteful  of  his  money. 

3.  A  child  can  become  better  than  its  parents.  Can  an  ear  of 
corn  be  better  than  its  parents  ?  Good  parents  in  a  good  home 
often  have  worthless  children.  Can  good  corn  parents  in  a  fertile, 
well-cultivated  field  produce  worthless  ears  ? 

4.  A  bright  boy  who  wanted  to  grow  corn  inherited  a  farm  on 
which  corn  had  never  been  grown.  A  neighbor  offered  to  sell  him 
some  tried  corn  at  $4  a  bushel.  A  seedsman  six  hundred  miles 
north  of  his  farm  offered  some  showy  ears  at  $2  a  bushel.  Another 
seedsman  three  hundred  miles  south  of  his  farm  sent  him  a  cata- 
logue showing  handsome  ears  at  $2.50  a  bushel.  Which  would  he 
be  wise  to  buy  ? 

5.  A  farmer  after  riding  on  horseback  through  his  field  boasted 
that  his  corn  was  so  fine  and  tall  that  he  could  not  touch  the  tassels 
with  his  riding  whip.  Was  this  an  intelligent  boast  ?  Give  three 
reasons  for  vour  answer. 


CHAPTER  VII 

MARKINGS  OF  GOOD   SEED   EARS  (Continued) 
Number  of  Ears  to  the  Stalk 

Your  seed  should  be  chosen  to  give  you  the  great- 
est number  of  pounds  of  dry  shelled  corn  to  the 
stalk.  Of  the  three  stalks  represented  in  Eig.  54 
one  stalk  bears  only  one  ear,  one  bears  two  ears, 
and  one  three  ears.  Shall  you  select  seed  from  a 
stalk  that  yields  one,  two,  or  three  ears?  This  is  a 
vexed  question  with  growers.  Some  stoutly  insist 
that  one  large  well-filled  ear  will  produce  the  greatest 
amount  of  corn.  They  point  out  the  fact  that,  as  a 
rule,  the  size  of  the  ear  decreases  as  the  number  of 
ears  increases.  Others  urge  that  a  two-eared  kind  is 
the  largest  producer.  These  contend  that  you  can 
get  a  greater  weight  of  corn  from  two  medium-sized 
ears  than  from  one  large  ear.  Stalks  bearing  more 
than  one  ear  are  called  prolific  stalks,  and  seed  from 
such  stalks  is  called  prolific  seed. 

Is  there  any  way  to  settle  this  difference  of  opin- 
ion except  by  actual  trial  in  the  field?  The  North 
Carolina  Experiment  Station  made  exactly  this  trial 
for  five  years.  The  one-eared  kinds  and  the  prolific 
kinds  were  planted  in  alternate  rows  in  the  same 

78 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


79 


field.  This,  of  course,  gave  each  the  same  kind  of 
soil.  The  seasons,  of  course,  were  exactly  alike  for 
each  kind.  Each  kind  was  planted  at  the  same  time, 
fertilized,  and  tilled  in  exactly  the  same  way.  At 
the  end  of  the  season  the  returns  from  each  were 
carefully  weighed.  The  prolific  varieties  yielded  an 
average  of  thirty-seven 
bushels  to  an  acre.  The 
one-eared  varieties  aver- 
aged only  twenty-nine 
bushels  —  a  difference  of 
eight  bushels  in  favor  of 
the  prolific  kind. 

The  Alabama  Experi- 
ment Station  made  the 
same  tests  for  four  years. 
This  station  found  that 
prolific  varieties  yielded 
thirty-three  bushels  to  the 
acre  while  the  one-eared 
varieties     yielded     only 

twenty-seven  bushels.  The  Tennessee  Station  after 
careful  tests  declared  that  the  prolific  kinds  yielded 
more  than  the  one-eared  kinds. 

However,  will  it  be  fair  to  conclude  that,  because 
the  prolific  kinds  yielded  most  in  these  three 
Southern  states  these  kinds  will  be  the  heaviest 
yielders  all  over  our  country?  We  must  not  forget 
what  a  difference  climate  makes  in  a  crop.    The 


Fig.  54.  Stalks  WITH  One.  Two, 
AND  Three  Ears 


So       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

prolific  kinds  of  corn  take  longer  to  ripen  their 
ears  than  do  the  one-eared  varieties.  In  states  like 
Kansas,  Iowa,  and  Illinois,  where  the  growing-season 
is  much  shorter  than  in  the  South,  growers  want  a 
corn  that  will  be  certain  to  ripen  before  cold  weather 
comes.  Would  the  prolific  kinds  then  be  as  good 
for  these  colder  states  as  they  would  for  the  warmer 
states  ?  If  you  live  in  a  cold  state,  would  you  there- 
fore plant  a  prolific  variety  ? 

Moreover,  on  poor  soils  good  one-eared  varieties 
are  generally  the  best  producers.  Hence,  if  you  are 
so  unfortunate  as  to  have  to  plant  your  corn  on 
poor  land,  should  you  try  to  grow  prolific  corn  ? 
Would  not  seed  from  a  choice  one-eared  variety  be 
safer  for  you  ? 

As  another  note  in  regard  to  seed  selection,  let 
us  write : 

Note  5.  If  I  live  in  a  warm  climate  and  have  rich  land,  I  will 
select  a  prolific  variety  of  dent  corn  for  seed,  but  if  I  live  in  a  cold 
climate,  I  will  choose  a  good  one-eared  variety  for  seed. 

Which  of  Twin  Ears  to  Select 

If  you  are  using  a  prolific  seed,  you  may  be  puz- 
zled which  of  the  two  ears  borne  on  a  stalk  to  select 
for  seed.  Examine  the  stalks  and  the  ears  in  the 
field.  From  the  stalks  bearing  the  two  best  ears 
select  the  better  ear  of  the  two.  This  will  usually 
be  the  top  ear.  But  if  both  ears  are  good,  there  is 
no  reason  why  you  should  not  use  both  for  seed. 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS  8 1 

The  Ear  and  its  Oltalities 

Corn  Is  grown  largely  for  its  ears  —  they  are  the 
crown   of  a  years  work.    If   the   ears   are   not  full 


1234 

Fig.  55.    Well-Shaped  and  Poorly-Shaped  Eaks 

fruited,  the  labor  of  the  grower  is  not  properly 
rewarded.  If  we  are  seeking  to  grow  seed  that  will 
make  fruitful  ears,  we  must  know  thoroughly  all 
the  marks  of  a  fine  ear. 

Contrast  the  ears  in  Fig.  55.   You  see  at  a  glance, 
as  far  as  shape  goes,  what  is  wanted  in  a  seed  ear 


82 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


and  what  is  not  desired.  Ears  No.  i  and  No.  2  have 
all  the  outward  marks  of  excellent  seed  ears.  Ear 
No.  3  begins  to  taper  too  much.  Ear  No.  4  is 
wretched.  In  spite  of  its  attractive  shape  is  it  pos- 
sible that  ear  No.  i  might  not  be  a  good  seed  ear? 
Explain  your  answer  fully.  Let 
us  see  what  advantages  in  shape 
ears  No.  i  and  No.  2  have  over 
ears  No.  3  and  No.  4. 

Ears  No.  i  and  No.  2  are  cylin- 
drical, that  is,  they  taper  very  little 
from  end  to  end,  and  this  is  the 
shape  desired  by  most  growers,  for 
it  is  the  only  shape  in  which  the 
same  number  of  rows  can  grow 
from  end  to  end  of  the  ear.  In  a 
tapering  ear  like  No.  3  and  No.  4 
there  must  be  either  some  short 
rows,  as  shown  in  Fig.  56,  or  the 
kernels  at  the  large  end  must  be 
larger  than  those  at  the  small  end, 
or  have  more  space  between  them.  Follow  the 
rows  of  kernels  in  ear  No.  i.  Do  they  not  run 
straight  from  bottom  to  top.^*  Is  this  true  of  ear 
No.  2  ?  Which  has  the  larger  number  of  kernels  ? 
In  which  are  the  kernels  most  nearly  of  the  same 
size }  Will  kernels  of  different  sizes  drop  well  from 
your  corn  planter.'*  Which  has  the  wider  spaces,  or 
furrows,  between  the  rows  ? 


^ 

3 

1 

Fig.  s6.    Here  the 

Kernel  Rows  are 

partly  lost 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


83 


Length  and  Girth  of  Ear 

As  climates  and  soils  in  the  corn-growing  area  of 
the  United  States  vary  so  widely  and  affect  the 
crop  so  markedly,  it  is  impossible  to  fix  a  standard 
of  length  for  an  ear.  Where  the 
growing-season  is  long  and  the 
soil  fertile,  large  ears  are  usually 
the  best  producers  among  the 
one-eared  varieties.  But  very 
long  and  narrow  ears  are  to  be 
avoided,  for  in  such  ears  the 
kernels  are  generally  shallow.  In 
areas  that  have  a  short  growing- 
season  smaller  ears  should  be 
selected.  Of  the  one-eared  vari- 
eties ears  ranging  from  nine  to 
eleven  inches  in  length  are  per- 
haps best  for  seed.  Of  prolific 
kinds  the  best  ears  range  from 
eight  to  nine  inches  in  length. 

In  addition  to  the  length,  the 
girth,  or  circumference,  of  the 
ear  is  always  important.  The  ear 
should  have  circumference  enough  to  hold  a  large 
number  of  rows  of  kernels.  Compare  the  circum- 
ference of  ears  No.  i  and  No.  2  in  Fig.  57.  Will 
not  an  ear  like  No.  2  have  more  room  to  hold  its 
rows  of  kernels  than  ears  like  No.  i  ?     Ears  of  the 


Fig.  s7-    Length  and 
Girth  of  Ears 


84 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


one-eared  varieties  vary  from  twelve  to  twenty-four 
in  the  number  of  rows;  the  prohfic  varieties  from 
eight  to  sixteen.    It  will  be  prudent  not  to  select 


Fi(i.  ;N.    Iki'is  AM)    111' 


seed  from  any  one-eared  \ariety  that  has  fewer  than 
sixteen  rows  or  from  any  prolific  variety  that  has 
fewer  than  twelve  rows. 


Butts  Axn  Tips 

The  end  of  the  ear  next  to  the  stalk  is  called  the 
butt;  the  opposite  end  is  known  as  the  tip.  There 
should  be  no  wasted  space  on  the  cob.  Every  part 
of  the   cob   should  be  covered  with  kernels.    The 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS  85 

yield  of  course  will  be  greatest  if  both  butts  and 
tips  are  well  filled  out.  A  well-filled  butt  is  more  to 
be  sought  than  a  well-capped  tip.  Do  not,  however, 
select  an  ear  solely  because  its  butt  and  tip  are 
nearly  perfect.  The  size  of  an  ear  and  its  suitability 
to  soil  and  climate  are  too  important  to  give  way 
to  a  search  after  perfect  butts  and  tips.  Fig.  58 
presents  a  series  of  butts  and  tips.  Giv^e  reasons  for 
saying  that  No.  i  is  a  good  butt.  W'hy  is  No.  3  a  poor 
butt?  Does  No.  i  appear  to  have  a  large  or  a  small 
cob  ?  Does  No.  3  appear  to  have  a  very  large  cob  ? 
Is  there  much  wasted  space  in  No.  i  ?  in  No.  3  ? 
In  the  tips  in  the  bottom  row  do  you  see  any  wasted 
space  in  No.  i  .?  Is  there  such  wasted  space  in 
Nos.  2  and  3  ?  Would  these  six  ears  not  yield  more 
if  all  the  ears  had  butts  and  tips  filled  as  well  as 
Nos.  I  and  2  have  ? 

Space  between  Rows 

The  spaces,  or  furrows,  between  the  rows  of  ker- 
nels should  not  be  wide,  but  yet  wide  enough,  in 
sections  with  a  short  growing-season,  to  allow  the 
ear  to  dry  thoroughly  before  frost.  Ears  with  wide 
furrows  are  apt  to  have  rounded  and  not  deep  ker- 
nels. Such  rounded  kernels  do  not  fill  solidly  the 
space  on  the  cob.  The  ear  on  the  left  in  Fig.  59 
has  straight  and  small  furrows,  yet  the  furrows  are 
wide  enough  for  air  to  enter  and  cause  it  to  dry.    In 


86 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


the  middle  ear  the  furrows  are  nearly  straight  but 
rather  wide.  In  the  ear  on  the  right  the  furrows 
are  not  only  far  too  wide  but  very  much  out  of  line. 
Which  would  you  be  sure  to  select  for  a  seed  ear  ? 


Fig.  59.    Ears  showing  Spaces  between  Rows 

Color  of  Ear  and  Cob 

Each  variety  of  corn  has  a  natural  or  regular 
color.  All  carefully  bred  varieties  are  expected  to 
be  uniform  in  color.  For  example,  white  dent  corns 
should  yield  white  kernels,  and  yellow  dents  yellow 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


87 


kernels.  Any  mixing  of  colors  shows  that  an  ear  or  its 
parent  ears  received  some  pollen  from  stalks  of  an- 
other variety.  Of  course,  no  ear  that  has  been  so 
pollinated  should  be  used  for  seed.  In  Fig.  60  there 
is  shown  an  ear  in  which  the  color 
is  a  result  of  stray  pollen.  Even  if 
such  an  ear  has  an  almost  perfect 
shape  and  has  weH-shaped  kernels, 
good  spacing  between  the  rows, 
and  excellent  butts  and  tips,  should 
you  use  it  for  a  seed  ear?  The 
cobs,  too,  should  have  a  regular 
color.  With  some  few  exceptions, 
such  as  the  Calhoun  Red  Cob, 
the  white  and  the  yellow  varieties 
should  have  white  cobs  and  red 
varieties  should  produce  red  cobs. 
As  a  rule  the  white  varieties  have 
proved  heavier  yielders  than  the 
colored  varieties.  Yet,  in  spite  of 
this  fact,  some  yellow  varieties  out- 
yield  many  white  kinds.  The  yield  is  not  governed 
by  the  color,  but  will,  of  course,  depend  on  the 
size  of  the  ear,  time  of  ripening,  suitability  to  soil 
and  climate,  kind  of  kernels,  a  proper  filling  out  of 
the  kernels,  the  amount  of  grain  to  the  cob,  the 
amount  of  fertilizer  used,  and  the  excellence  of  the 
cultivation. 


Fig.  60.    Varying 
Color  of  Kernels 


88 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Size  of  Cob 

The  cob  is  merely  a  frame  on  which  the  kernels 
are  fastened.  The  larger  the  cob,  if  all  other  things 
are  equal,  the  more  kernels  can  be  fastened  on  it. 
However,  there  are  objections  to  a  very  large  cob; 
its  grains  are  apt  to  be  shallow  and  it  is  slow  in 

drying.  If  the  cob 

is  so  large  that  it 

holds  moisture  too 

long,    its    kernels 

maybe  injured  by 

mold  or  by  early 

frost.  On  the  other 

hand,  cobs  that  are 

very  small  cannot 

furnish  framework 

enough  for  a  large 

number  of  kernels.    Hence  a  cob  which  is  neither 

too  large  nor  too  small  makes  the  best  frame  for 

the  kernels. 

In  Fig.  6 1  compare  the  four  cobs  with  their  ker- 
nels. Select  the  cob  that  makes  the  best  frame  for 
its  kernels.  Which  cob  is  too  large  .f*  Which  too 
small  ?  Count  the  number  of  kernels  around  each 
cob.  The  biggest  cob  has  the  largest  number  of 
kernels  around  it.  Would  this  prove  that  the  total 
number  of  kernels  on  this  cob  would  weigh  more 
than  the  total  number  of  those  on  the  ear  to  the 


^ 

^M 

Wr^^ 

LSw^ 

^\ '    ^^^1 

^ftSi  "^^H 

m 

Fig.  6i.    Cobs  of  Different  Sizes 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS  89 

right?  The  ear  on  the  left  has  eighteen  kernels 
around  the  cob.  The  one  at  the  bottom  has  only 
eight  kernels  girdling  it.  Would  this  prove  that 
the  first  ear  would  yield  twice  as  much  as  the 
second  ear?  Which  cob  would  be  slowest  in  drying? 
Which  ought  to  dry  most  quickly  ? 

APPLYING  THE  LESSON 

1.  A  banker  offers  as  a  prize  for  the  highest  yield  from  one 
acre  a  scholarship  in  the  State  Agricultural  College.  If  you  entered 
for  this  prize,  would  you  select  for  seed  a  one-eared  or  a  two-eared 
variety  ? 

2.  Describe  the  shape  of  the  ears  that  you  would  want  for  seed. 

We  now  seem  ready  for  the  next  note  in  our  seed- 
selection  book,  as  follows : 

Note  6.  From  the  best-bred  ears  on  my  own  farm  or  in  my  own 
community,  I  will  pick  out  for  seed  such  as  are  firm,  heavy,  cylindrical, 
medium  in  size  rather  than  very  long  or  short.  I  will  also  take  care 
that  my  seed  ears  have  a  good  girth  or  circumference,  with  their  butts 
and  tips  well  filled,  with  straight  and  narrow  furrows,  with  a  cob  not  too 
large  nor  yet  too  small,  with  a  strong  short  shank,  and  with  uniform, 
well-shaped  kernels. 

The  Kernel 

Corn  is,  of  course,  grown  largely  for  the  kernels. 
No  matter  how  much  pleasure  we  may  take  in  the 
grace  of  the  stalk  or  in  the  richness  of  the  harvest 
colors,  it  is,  after  all,  around  the  tiny  kernels  with 
their  food  for  man  and  beast  and  with  their  power 
to  furnish  seed  for  the   next  crop   that  our  chief 


•  9  If  If  ••  ft 
If  f I  ft  11  it 


Fig.  62.   Vahving  Shapes  of  Dent  Kernels 


f  t 

•  • 

f  f 

f  f 

f  f 

9  9 

f  9 

91 

Fig.  63.   Compare  these  Kernels 


MARKINGS  OF  GOOD  SEED  EARS 


91 


Fig.  64.   This  Shape  Best 


interest  centers.  As  our 
study  goes  on,  we  shall 
find  that  each  variety  of 
corn,  as  is  shown  in 
Fig.  62,  has  certain  pecu- 
liarities in  the  shape  of 
its  kernels,  but,  even  with 
these  in  mind,  there  are 
some  qualities  which  all 
kernels  should  have. 

Both  the  size  and  the 
shape  of  the  kernels  are 
important.  As  the  entire 
space  around  the  cob 
should    be    used,    fairly 

large,  deep,  close-fitting  kernels  are  to  be  sought. 

Wedge-shaped  kernels,  not  too  pointed,  seem  to  fill 

up  the  space  most 

snugly  and  with 

least    loss.     Not 

only    should    the 

kernels  be  wedge- 
shaped  but   they 

should  be  uniforrn 

in  size  so  that  the 

corn-planter  may 

drop  them  evenly 

in  planting.     As 

you    will    see    by  Fig.  65.    Kernels  that  will  Grow 


92       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

measuring  the  kernel  in  Fig.  64,  the  length  of  the 
kernel  should  be  a  little  over  one  and  one-half  times 
the  width  at  the  widest  part.  The  kernels  should  be 
about  one  half  of  the  depth  of  the  cob.  Their  thick- 
ness should  be  nearly  the  same  from  end  to  end. 

The  ripe  kernel  should  have,  as  in  Fig.  65,  a  clean, 
strong,  full  tip.  It  should  have  the  same  fresh  and 
glossy  color  in  front  and  back.  It  should  not  be  dis- 
colored, blistered,  wrinkled,  roughened,  or  cracked. 
The  germ  should  be  large,  smootli,  bright,  and 
rather  horny.  The  germ,  when  cut  open,  should  be 
fresh  and  oily  in  looks.  Dull,  dead-looking  kernels 
have  feeble  life  and  are  generally  from  weak  stalks. 

In  Fig.  63  four  rows  of  kernels  are  grouped  for 
comparison.  What  objections  can  you  give  to  the 
shape  of  the  kernels  in  the  top  row?  What  to  those 
in  the  second  row?  Are  the  grains  in  the  third  and 
fourth  rows  wedge-shaped,  deep,  and  uniform  ?  Are 
they  near  enough  in  size  to  be  dropped  evenly  from 
the  planter  ?  Would  these  be  good  kernels  for  seed  ? 

POINTS  FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Get  your  teacher  to  arrange  a  debate  for  some  evening. 
Let  the  question  for  debate  be  :  "  Resolved  that  for  this  community 
a  one-eared  variety  of  corn  is  better  than  a  prolific  variety."  Invite 
the  farmers  to  join  the  debaters  on  each  side. 

2.  Let  the  teacher  provide  a  corn  show  for  December,  invite 
each  pupil  to  bring  the  best  home-grown  ear,  and  have  three 
pupils  act  as  judges  and  give  publicly  the  reasons  for  the  award. 
Be  sure  to  have  each  pupil  bring  at  least  one  ear. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED 

Now,  having  become  familiar  with  the  outward 
marks  of  desirable  seed  ears,  we  must  decide  how, 
when,  and  where  we  can  secure  such  ears.  As 
already  seen,  there  are  three  ways  in  which  to 
secure    seed : 

First,  we  may  buy  our  seed  from  some  grower 
who  does  not  live  near  us. 

Second,  we  may  buy  from  some  one  in  our  own 
neighborhood. 

'    Third,   we    ma\',   after    the    first    year,    raise    our 
own    seed. 

We  have  also  thought  over  some  of  the  objections 
to  the  first  plan.  However,  as  our  success  in  grow- 
ing corn  is  so  dependent  on  planting  the  very  best 
seed,  we  cannot  spend  too  much  time  in  learning 
how  to  make  a  wise  selection  of  seed. 

We  see,  in  Fig.  66,  an  ear  of  a  one-eared  variety 
which  is  almost  perfect  in  shape.  In  looks  it  is  a 
model,  for  it  has  all  the  outward  marks  that  are  most 
highly  prized.  Its  kernels  are  wedge-shaped,  deep, 
and  closely  packed.  Its  furrows  are  close  and  straight. 
Both  ends  are  well  covered.  Its  cob  is  about  the 
right  size,  and  the  entire  ear  well  shaped.    Maybe, 

93 


94 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


after  you  examine  it,  you  are  ready  to  say,  "Such  an 
ear  is  good  enough  for  me."  But  do  not  be  too  hasty. 
Why  may  such  a  showy  ear  be  unfit  for  seed  ? 

First,  can  you  from  looks  be  sure 
that  this  ear  would  produce  just 
such  an  ear  as  itself?  It  might  do 
so,  but  on  the  other  hand  have  we 
any  such  certainty,  as  we  would 
have  if  we  knew  it  came  from  a 
family  of  fine  bearers?  May  it  not 
be  that  this  ear  grew  on  a  stalk  that 
was  highly  favored  by  some  acci- 
dent? Perhaps  the  stalk  that  bore 
it  stood  nearly  alone  in  the  field 
and  received  an  undue  share  of 
food.  Perhaps,  owing  to  the  un- 
evenness  of  the  ground,  the  stalk 
got  more  than  its  share  of  mois- 
ture and  fertilizer.  You  know  that 
none  of  the  qualities  which  a  plant 
gets  by  accident  is  necessarily 
handed  down  to  plants  grown  from 
its  seed.  Would  it  not  be  safer, 
then,  not  to  stake  your  crop  on 
looks  alone,  but  to  stake  it  on  an 
equally  well-shaped  ear  from  a  family  that  for 
some  years  had  proved  its  worth  in  the  field? 

Second,   no  quality  in  seed  corn  is  more  to  be 
sought  after  than  that  it   should  suit  the  soil  and 


^is^^ 

^ps^ 

^^ 

Fig.  66.  Handsome 
Ears   may    disap- 
point YOU 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED     95 

climate  in  which  it  is  to  be  grown.  Can  you  at 
all  tell  whether  this  showy  stranger  would  suit  your 
soil  and  your  climate  ?  The  Nebraska  Experiment 
Station  planted  five  varieties  of  prize  show  corn  from 
Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Ohio,  five  varieties  from  various 
parts  of  the  state,  and  seven  from  varieties  grown 
near  the  station.  The  showy  seed  from  outside  the 
state  yielded  thirty-nine  bushels  to  the  acre;  the 
seed  from  other  parts  of  the  same  state  yielded 
forty-five  bushels,  and  the  home  varieties  forty-eight 
bushels.  Can  you  afford  to  lose  nine  bushels  an 
acre  on  your  crop  by  securing  seed  from  a  distance  ? 

There  are  objections,  also,  to  buying  from  growers 
even  in  our  own  sections.  Is  such  buying  not  more 
expensive  than  growing  your  own  seed?  Is  there 
any  way  for  you  to  find  out  whether  the  grower 
has  become  careless  in  selecting  or  caring  for  his 
seed?  If  his  land  is  either  poorer  or  richer  than 
yours,  would  his  seed  suit  your  farm  as  well  as 
seed  bred  on  your  own  land  ? 

Taking  all  these  things  into  consideration,  would 
it  not  be  best  for  you,  after  the  first  year,  to  grow 
your  own  seed?  Would  not  such  growing  add  to  the 
interest  of  your  life  on  the  farm  and  cause  you  to  have 
a  just  pride  in  the  excellence  of  your  own  seed  ?  If  you 
decide  to  follow  this  plan,  do  you  not  wish  to  under- 
stand thoroughly  the  methods  of  selecting  and  improv- 
ing your  seed?  Unless  you  can  start  your  crop  each 
year  with  seed  that  has  power  to  grow  vigorously 


96 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


and  yield  bountifully,  you  can  never  hope  to  be 
numbered  among  the  most  successful  corn-growers. 
By  buying  for  your  first  planting  well-tried  seed 
ears  from  a  neigboring  farm,  you  secure  parent  ears 
that  ought  to  give  you  a  fine  start.    Then  it  will  be 


Ftg.  67.    Corn  from  Good  Seed 

your  part  to  improve  this  seed  from  crop  to  crop. 
Of  course,  the  first  year  you  can  do  no  more  than  to 
prepare  your  seed  bed  painstakingly  and  fertilize 
and  cultivate  your  crop  wisely  and  intelligently. 
This  will  give  you  stalks  of  such  vigor  as  to  bear 
large  and  heavy  ears. 

You  are  to  begin  your  seed  selection  with  these 
ears.    Accordingly  you  must  decide  where  and  when 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED      97 

and  how  to  begin  30ur  selection.  In  planning  your 
first  selection,  keep  steadily  in  mind  just  what  you 
want.  You  already  have  ears  with  a  fine  family 
record.  You  want  now  to  select  from  these  ears  only 
such  as  have  lived  up  to  their  record.  Then,  after  a 
careful  comparison  of  your  choicest  ears,  you  want 
to  put  aside  for  seed  only  those  of  unusual  excellence. 


Fig.  68.    Corn  from  Poor  Seed 

In  this  wav  vou  will  start  the  second  year  with  better 
seed  than  you  had  the  first  year.  In  making  this 
comparison  what  sort  of  ears  must  you  seek  } 

First,  ears  which  were  borne  on  vigorous,  healthy, 
natural  plants. 

Second,  ears  from  good  stalks  that  grew  under 
the  usual  conditions  of  the  field.  You  do  not  want 
ears  from  stalks  which  were  favored  by  some  accident 
like  having  no  neighboring  stalks  to  share  their  plant 


98       CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

food  and  moisture  or  by  some  other  unusual  advan- 
tage. A  good  ear  borne  under  hard  conditions  is 
better  than  a  good  ear  from  a  stalk  which  on  account 
of  some  accident  was  fortunate  in  its  growth. 

Third,  ears  from  stalks  that  ripened  their  grain 
neither  too  early  nor  too  late.  Every  plant  needs  to 
use  for  ripening  its  fruit  all  the  growing-time  which 
nature  allows.  If  it  does  not  do  this,  it  is  not  suited 
to  its  climate  and  soil. 

Fourth,  ears  from  standing  stalks.  Usually  stalks 
that  are  thrown  down  are  less  vigorous  than  those 
that  hold  themselves  steadily  on  their  roots. 

Fifth,  ears  from  which  a  heavy  weight  of  dried 
kernels  can  be  shelled. 

Sixth,  ears  that  have  all  the  desirable  markings 
mentioned  in  the  last  lessons. 

Do  you  not  at  once  see  that  to  be  guided  by  these 
rules,  you  must  begin  your  selection  in  the  field 
while  the  plants  are  still  growing  ?  If  your  choice  is 
to  be  made  by  noting  both  stalk  and  ear,  of  course, 
you  can  never  do  this  after  the  ears  are  thrown  in 
the  crib.  Hence,  shall  you  not,  first  of  all,  decide 
that  the  sure  way  to  improve  your  seed  is  to  select 
it  in  the  field  ? 

When  shall  you  begin  this  selection  ?  You  will 
have  to  begin  just  as  the  corn  is  ripening  and  before 
the  blades  have  lost  their  green,  for  at  that  time  you 
can  note  the  vigor  or  w^ant  of  vigor  of  the  entire 
stalk.    If  the  stalk  is  undersized  and  spindling  and 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED 


99 


if  the  blades  are  not  broad,  green,  and  luxuriant,  you 
will  know  the  plant  is  not  vigorous.  You  can  see, 
also,  whether  the  stalk  grew  under  favorable,  unfavor- 
able, or  usual  field  conditions.  You  can  also  note  the 
shank  and  the  height  of  the  ear  and  whether  any 
disease  has  fastened  itself  on  either  stalk  or  blades. 


Fig.  69.   First  Field  Selection'  of  Seed  Ears 


At  this  time,  then,  make  ready  for  your  first  exami- 
nation in  the  field.  Before  you  go  to  the  field,  how- 
ever, you  will  have  to  decide  how  many  ears  you 
will  need.  You  no  doubt  know  that  it  takes  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  ears  to  plant  an  acre.  Shall  you, 
then,  just  multiply  the  number  of  acres  you  wish  to 
plant  by  twenty  ?  Not  at  all.  You  should  gather  at 
least  three  times  as  many  fine  ears  as  you  will  need 
for  planting.  Why?    In  order  that  you  may  compare 


lOO      CORN  BQQK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

a  large  number  of  unusually  promising  ears  and 
then  select  the  very  best  of  these.  Hence  you  will 
multiply  your  number  of  acres  by  twenty  and  then 
multiply  your  result  by  three  or  perhaps,  even  better, 
by  four.  To  secure  tliis  number  of  ears  it  will,  of 
course,  be  necessary  to  continue  examining  stalks 
until  you  find  enough  strong' stalks  bearing  desirable 
ears  to  give  you  that  number. 

Having,  then,  determined  when  to  start  your  selec- 
tion, you  will  next  have  to  decide  where  or  from 
what  part  of  your  crop  you  will  draw  your  seed.  Of 
course,  you  cannot  examine  all  the  stalks  and  ears 
in  your  fields.  This  would  take  too  long.  You  do 
not  wish  to  start  just  at  random.  What  shall  guide 
you  in  deciding  where  to  begin  ?  Think  over  these 
points : 

First,  you  do  not  desire  any  stray  pollen  to  get 
mixed  with  yours.  Would  it  not,  then,  be  best  to 
draw  your  seed  from  stalks  as  far  away  as  possible 
from  neighboring  farms  ?  Your  neighbor  may  not 
be  careful  about  his  seed. 

Second,  you  are  trying  to  improve  your  seed. 
Would  it  not  help  if  you  selected  stalks  and  ears 
from  a  part  of  your  crop  that  is  somewhat  better 
than  the  other  parts? 

Third,  you  are  in  search  of  seed  that  will  suit  all 
your  land.  Will  you  not  come  near  finding  such 
seed  if  you  select  from  a  portion  of  your  crop  that 
is  growing  on  soil  similar  to  most  of  your  land? 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED      loi 


After  deciding  on  the  field,  or  portion  of  field, 
from  which  to  cull  your  seed  ears,  you  are  ready  to 
make  your  first  examination.  With  your  general 
rules  in  mind,  pass  down  the  rows  and  scan  each 
stalk  and  ear.  As 
you  will  see  at  a 
glance,  many  are 
not  fit  for  seed. 
As  often  as  you 
come  to  a  promis- 
ing stalk  and  ear, 
like  that  shown  in 
Fig.  70,  stop  and 
examine  the  plant 
closely.  If  it  is 
shown  by  a  closer 
examination : 

First,  that  the 
plant  is  weak,  not 
thrifty  and  well- 
shaped,  reject  it. 

Second,  that  the 
plant    may    have 

benefited  by  any  advantage  in  distance  from  other 
plants,  in  manure,  moisture,  or  drainage,  reject  it. 

Third,  that  the  plant  is  ripening  too  early  or  too 
late,  reject  it. 

Fourth,  that  the  plant  is  not  held  firmly  on  its 
roots,  reject  it. 


Fig.  70.   A  Promising  Stalk 


Fig.  71.   Too  Maxy  Suckers  Fig.  72.    Ear  too  Straight 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED 


103 


Fifth,  that  the  plant  has  too  many  suckers,  or 
tillers,  as  the  one  shown  in   Fig.  71  has,  reject  it. 

Sixth,  that  the  shank  is  too  long  or  weak,  reject  it. 

Seventh,  that  the 
plant  bears  its  ear  too 
straight  up,  as  the  one 
shown  in  Fig.  72  does, 
reject  it. 

Eighth,  that  the 
plant  is,  like  those  in 
Fig.  JT^^  bearing  ears 
too  high  or  too  low  for 
the  climate,  reject  it. 

Ninth,  that  the  size 
of  the  ear  is  too  small 
for  the  plant  or  the  ear 
is  too  large  for  the  size 
of  the  plant,  reject  it. 

Such  plants  as  are 
not  rejected  by  this 
careful  examination 
are  likely  on  a  second 
and  later  examination 
to  prove  fit  stalks  from 
which  to  gather  seed. 

As  you  select  the  stalks  mark  about  six  times  as 
many  as  you  need  to  furnish  your  calculated  number 
of  seed  ears.  This  is  done  by  tying  a  string  or  some 
other  label  around  the  chosen  stalks. 


Fig.  73.    One  Ear  too  High 
TOO  Low 


One 


I04 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Just  before  the  proper  time  for  gathering  corn, 
make  a  second  examination  of  your  marked  plants. 
This  time  you  will  center  attention  on  the  ears.  As 
you  come  to  your  tagged  stalks,  pull  back  the  husks 


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p: 

Fig.  74.    Boys  aiakixg  their  Second  Selection 


from  one  side  of  the  ear  as  the  boys  are  doing  in 
Fig.  74.  You  want  to  find  from  this  examination 
whether  the  ears  have  all  the  desired  qualities  already 
described.  In  addition,  you  wish  to  see  whether  the 
ears  are  dry  and  well  ripened,  and  have  the  tips  cov- 
ered with  husks.  It  will  be  prudent,  too,  to  select 
only  such  ears  as  droop  somewhat  from  the  shank. 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED       tos 


for  this  drooping  will  keep  out  moisture  that  might 
lead  to  rotting  or  freezing  or  other  injury  to  the  ear. 
This  second  examination  will  probably  lead  you 
to  reject  about  half  the  ears  from  marked  stalks. 
This  will  leave  you 
about  three  times  as 
many  ears  as  you  will 
need  for  planting. 
Gather  these  ears  in 
a  bag  similar  to  the 
one  shown  in  Fig.  75. 
As  often  as  your  bag 
is  filled,  carry  the 
culled  ears  to  the  end 
of  the  row.  Then,  if 
you  are  not  going  to 
make  your  final  selec- 
tion at  the  end  of  the 
row,  the  ears  should 
be  hung  up  in  a  pro- 
tected place,  in  order 
to  dry  rapidly.  It  will 
be  a  good  day's  work 
to  gather  from  three 

to  five  bushels  of  choice  seed  in  a  day.  When  you 
have  plucked  the  finest  ears  from  your  tagged 
stalks,  you  will  still  have,  as  already  noted,  about 
three  times  as  many  ears  as  you  will  need  for 
planting.    This  large  number  was  drawn  from  the 


Fig.  75.   Bag  for  Seed  Ears 


io6 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


field  in  order  to  allow  you  a  final  selection  of  the 
very  highest  type  of  ears  for  your  next  year's  seed. 
There  are  two  places  in  which  to  make  your  last 
selection.  One  is  at  the  end  of  the  rows  where  you 
have  piled  your  ears.    If  you  use  this  method,  you 


Fig.  76.    Selection  at  End  of  Rows 


will  go  from  pile  to  pile,  and  from  each  pile,  after 
careful  comparison,  you  will,  as  shown  in  Fig.  76, 
pick  out  what  you  deem  ideal  ears.  These  you  will 
haul  to  the  storeroom  and  keep  in  a  way  to  be 
described  later.  Think  whether  you  see  any  objec- 
tions to  this  method.    Consider  these : 

First,  would  you  be  sure  that  the  ears  are  dry  ? 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED      107 

Second,  would  not  this  examination  have  to  be  a 
hasty  one?  Why  not  take  time  for  so  interesting 
a  task  ? 

Third,  might  further  drying  not  luring  out  defects 
or  diseases  not  then  easily  seen  ? 

The  second  and  better  method  is  to  haul  all  your 
gathered  ears  to  a  protected  storeroom.  Such  a 
room  should  have  a  fair  amount  of  warmth  and  a 
free  current  of  air.  Be  sure  to  place  the  ears  so  that 
they  will  not  touch  one  another.  Avoid  all  storing 
in  boxes,  barrels,  or  sacks.  After  the  ears  are  com- 
pletely dry,  you  are  ready  for  your  last  selection. 
The  time  taken  for  drying  will,  of  course,  vary  in 
accordance  with  the  amount  of  moisture  which  the 
corn  contained  at  gathering.  Even  at  harvest-time 
ears  plucked  from  stalks  growing  in  rich  bottom 
lands  frequently  contain  much  moisture.  To  save 
damage  from  freezing,  it  is  often  necessary,  in  sec- 
tions which  have  early  frosts,  to  gather  corn  when  it 
is  still  full  of  moisture.  In  both  of  these  cases  much 
time  will  be  needed  for  complete  drying.  As  soon  as 
the  ears  are  dry,  you  are  ready  for  your  last  selection. 

A  simple  plan  is  to  spread  a  number  of  ears  on 
a  table,  as  the  pupils  have  done  in  Fig. ']'].  Then 
study  each  ear  with  care.  Do  not  accept  an  ear 
unless  it  comes  up  to  the  high  standards  already 
described.  As  soon  as  you  have  chosen  the  best 
ears  on  the  table,  remove  your  selected  ones  for 
storage  and  send  the  others  to  the  crib.    Proceed  in 


ro8 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


this  way  until  you  have  an  abundant  supply  for 
seed.  This  work  can  be  done  on  rainy  days,  and 
should  be  done  without  haste  and  without  slackness. 
A  few  hours  spent  in  this  interesting  labor  will  go 
far  towards  filling  your  cribs  in  the  following  fall. 


Fig.  77.    Selecting  from  Stored  Seed  Ears 


In  this  study  of  field  selection,  only  the  one-eared 
varieties  have  so  far  been  considered.  However,  if 
you  live  in  a  section  in  which  experience  has  shown 
that  the  prolific  varieties  outyield  the  one-eared 
varieties  and  if  your  land  is  fertile  enough  to  yield 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  bushels  an  acre,  you  will 
do  best  to  plant  a  prolific  corn.  In  your  field  selec- 
tion of  prolific  varieties,  you  will  follow  exactly  the 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED 


109 


same  methods  as  you  did  with  the  one-eared  varie- 
ties, except  that  you  will  mark  and  gather  your 
seed  from  stalks, 
like  the  one  in 
Fig.  jS,  which  bore 
two  excellent  ears. 

If  you  wish  to 
improve  your  seed 
more  rapidly  than 
you  can  by  simple 
field  selection,  you 
will  be  greatly 
interested  in  try- 
ing the  "  Ear-to- 
the-row"  breeding 
patch.  This  form 
of  breeding  is 
called ''  Ear-to-the- 
row,"  because  you 
must  plant  each 
row  from  a  sepa- 
rate ear. 

For  your  breed- 
ing patch  select 
one  acre  as  far  as 
possible  from  any 

other  cornfield.  The  land  for  your  patch  should  be 
like  most  of  your  other  cornland.  It  should  be  level 
and  no  part  of  it  should  be  richer  than  the  other 


Fig.  78- 


Selecting  from  a  Two- 
Eared  Stalk 


no      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

part.  It  should  be  fertilized  and  cultivated  in  the 
same  way  in  which  you  fertilize  and  cultivate  your 
regular  crop ;  for,  as  stated  before,  you  do  not  want 
seed  from  plants  which  have  been  favored. 

Lay  the  acre  off  in  rows  four  feet  apart.  This 
will  give  you  fifty-two  rows,  each  two  hundred  and 
ten  feet  long.  Keep  the  two  outside  rows  for  what 
are  known  as  "  guard  rows."  These  rows  are  saved 
to  catch  stray  pollen  from  other  fields  and  to  guard 
against  the  unusual  hardships  that  outside  rows 
often  have.  This  will  leave  you  fifty  rows  for  your 
breeding  patch.    Number  the  rows  from  one  to  fifty. 

Now,  select  fifty  of  your  finest  ears,  and  remove  as 
unfit  for  seed  the  kernels  at  the  butts  and  tips.  Be- 
ginning with  row  No.  2  plant  by  hand  fifty  rows.  Be 
sure  to  use  a  separate  ear  for  each  row.  Never  put 
in  any  of  your  fifty  rows  any  seed  left  from  any  other 
ear.  With  what  seed  is  left,  plant  your  two  guard 
rows.  In  all  the  rows  let  the  stalks  stand  eighteen 
inches  apart,  and,  after  the  plants  are  from  eight  to 
ten  inches  high,  thin  to  one  stalk  in  each  hill.  If, 
however,  you  prefer  the  check-row  plan  of  planting, 
drop  four  kernels  to  the  check  and  then  thin  to  three 
plants  in  the  hill. 

In  the  fall,  examine  the  rows,  and  mark  the  best 
stalks  of  the  best  rows.  Gather  the  ears  from  each 
row  separately,  and  preserve  carefully  apart  the  ears 
marked  from  the  best  stalks.  Now  weigh  the  ears 
from  each  row.    The  total  weight  of  corn  from  each 


PLACE  AND  MANNER  OF  SELECTING  SEED      1 1 1 

row  will  show  which  are  the  high  yielding  rows  and 
which  are  the  light  bearers.  From  the  rows  which 
gave  the  highest  weight,  save  the  ears  marked  as  com- 
ing from  the  best  stalks.    Then  tag  these  ears  with 


Fig.  79.    Yields  from  Ear-to-Row  Patch 

the  number  of  the  row  from  which  they  came,  and 
save  them  for  your  next  year's  breeding  patch.  The 
other  best  ears  from  high  yielding  rows  will  be  used  to 
plant  your  crop  for  the  coming  season.  The  ears  from 
the  low  yielding  rows  will  be  thrown  into  the  crib. 

In  the  second  year  the  ears  chosen  as  the  best 
will,  in  the  same  way  as  before,  be  planted  in  the 


112      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

breeding  patch.  In  this  way  both  tlie  high  yielding 
ears  and  the  Hght  yielding  ears  can  be  found.  By 
throwing  out  the  light  yielders  each  year,  and  plant- 
ing only  from  those  rows  that  prove  themselves 
most  fruitful  yielders,  }ou  can  produce  and  keep 
up  a  strain  of  corn  which  will  gi\'e  you  a  high 
return  for  your  labor.  You  will  be  surprised  at  the 
different  yields  of  the  rows.  From  ears  that  looked 
equally  good,  yields  that  vary  as  much  as  50  or 
100  per  cent  are  often  produced. 

POINTS   FOR   TH()r(;H'l- 

1.  How  far  should  looks  count  in  an  ear  of  corn  ? 

2.  How  many  stalks  shf)ulcl  you  ta<?  in  order  to  provide  seed 
for  forty  ears  ? 

3.  A  fine  stalk  in  your  field  grew  from  the  spot  on  which  a 
stack  of  clover  hay  remained  for  some  time.  Would  you  select 
seed  from  the  ear  on  this  stalk  ? 

4.  Give  two  reasons  for  not  selecting  seed  from  stalks  growing 
at  the  very  end  of  your  rows. 

5.  To  secure  a  proper  rotation  of  crops  it  is  often  necessary  to 
plant  some  of  your  corn  rather  late.  As  a  rule,  would  you  not 
avoid  selecting  seed  from  such  late  corn  ? 

6.  One  of  your  neighbors  who  does  not  select  his  seed  in  the 
field  advertises  that  he  has  for  sale  ears  that  will  produce  a  heavy 
yield  of  shelled  corn  to  the  ear.  Give  three  reasons  why  you 
would  not  buy  such  seed. 

7.  In  looking  over  your  cornfields  you  find  some  excellent 
stalks  growing  on  the  only  hillside  on  your  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres.    State  why  you  would  not  mark  these  stalks  for  seed. 


CHAPTER  IX 

STORING  THE  SEED 

After  3^ou  have  thus  painstakingly  and  thought- 
fully selected  your  next  years  seed,  must  you  not 
make  sure  that  these  valuable  ears  are  properly 
preserved  until  planting  time  ?  Many  a  fine  ear  is 
injured  or  ruined  by  careless  storage.  We  must 
always  keep  in  mind  that  stored  in  each  kernel 
there  is  a  tender,  living  plant  —  the  germ.  This 
may  be  injured  easily  and  its  life  or  vigor  ended. 
It  is  the  grower's  task  to  keep  all  harm  from  this 
tiny  germ  on  which  his  hopes  of  an  abundant  harvest 
depend.    What  are  some  of  the  foes  of  the  germ  ? 

First,  an  ill-suited  storage  room.  The  life  and  the 
vigor  of  the  germ  depend  largely  on  protection 
from  too  much  moisture.  Ears  that  are  meant  for 
seed  should  be  as  dry,  when  they  are  gathered,  as 
field  conditions  will  permit.  Then  they  should  be 
kept  dry.  If  the  ears  are  stored  in  a  damp,  very 
warm  room,  mold  is  likely  to  form  and  injure  the 
germ.  Therefore,  for  the  first  two  months  after 
gathering,  the  ears  should  be  put  in  a  dry  room 
through  which  enough  air  to  carry  away  moisture  is 
constantly  passing.  The  temperature  of  the  room 
should  never  be  allowed  to  fall  below  the  freezing 


114      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

point.  If  the  weather  should  happen  to  be  wet  at 
storage  time,  put  the  ears  in  a  room  sufficiently- 
warmed  to  drive  out  the  moisture.  It  is,  however, 
safer  for  corn  to  be  air-dried  rather  than  fire-dried. 

Second,  freezing.  As  long  as  there  is  much 
moisture  in  the  ears,  they  should  never  be  stored 
where  there  is  danger  of  freezing.  The  freezing  of 
the  moisture  around  the  germ  will  kill  it.  After 
corn  is  thoroughly  dried,  there  is  little  danger  from 
storage  in  a  freezing  temperature,  but  it  is  safer 
never  to  run  this  risk;  for  the  corn,  after  its  first 
drying  out,  may  again  take  up  moisture. 

Third,  late  gathering.  The  longer  corn  stays  in 
the  field  the  longer,  of  course,  the  seed  ears  are 
beaten  by  rain.  No  ears  set  apart  for  seed  should 
sta)'  in  the  field  long  enough  to  be  caught  by  a 
hard  freeze.  Experience  proves  that  early  gathering 
keeps  vigor  in  the  germ. 

Fourth,  direct  sunlight.  While  a  well-lighted 
room  is  desirable  for  the  ears,  they  should  be  so 
placed  in  the  room  that  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun 
cannot  fall  on  them. 

Fifth,  contact.  Seed  ears  ought  never  to  be  stored 
so  that  they  can  touch  one  another.  Such  touching 
helps  to  keep  moisture  in  the  kernels  and  increases 
the  danger  of  killing  the  germ  by  mold  and  rot. 

Sixth,  rats  and  mice.  Of  course,  seed  must 
always  be  stored  so  that  it  cannot  be  injured  by  rats 
and  mice. 


STORING  THE  SEED  II5 

APPLYING  THE  LESSON 

1.  In  his  anxiety  to  prevent  his  seed  from  freezing  a  young 
grower  closed  all  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  storage  room  into 
which  he  had  put  his  freshly  gathered  ears.  If  he  kept  these 
closed,  what  injury  would  be  done  his  seed  ? 

2.  Corn  when  first  gathered  contains  about  25  per  cent  of 
moisture.  After  some  weeks  of  drying  it  contains  only  10  per 
cent.    What  per  cent  of  the  original  moisture  did  it  lose  ? 

3.  Explain  the  possible  danger  of  storing  corn  in  a  cellar. 
Would  the  kitchen  be  a  good  storage  room  ?  Animals  breathe  out 
a  good  deal  of  moisture.  Would  it  be  well  to  store  corn  in  a  loft 
over  a  stable .''  Experiments  show  that  corn  stored  in  attics  usually 
has  healthy  germs.    Can  you  give  reasons  for  this  ? 

4.  On  a  damp  day  would  you  open  or  close  the  windows  of  a 
seed  storage-room  ? 

5.  If  your  seed  corn  is  in  the  field  and  a  cold  wave  is  predicted, 
what  would  you  do  ? 

Some  seedsmen  or  other  large  growers  who  must 
save  large  quantities  of  seed  build  storage  houses 
for  it.  These  houses  are  provided  with  wire  racks, 
slatted  shelves,  or  other  arrangements  for  holding 
the  ears  so  that  air  may  pass  freely  around  them. 
Most  of  these  houses  are  furnished  with  stoves  or  fur- 
naces to  dry  the  corn  when  it  is  first  stored  and  to 
keep  the  rooms  fairly  warm  in  very  severe  weather. 
However,  unless  a  grower  has  unusually  large  quan- 
tities of  seed  to  store,  the  cheaper  methods  given 
below  will  keep  the  seed  as  safely  as  though  a  house 
were  built  and  warmed  for  them. 


Ii6 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Fig.  8o.    Ears  huxg  from  a  Pom: 

touch  any  other  ear;  that  air 
A  second  method  is  known 
or  "  seesaw  "  plan.  Fig.  S  i 
shows  clearly  how  one  ear 
follows  the  other  with  a 
string  at  each  end.  The 
two  pieces  of  string  k.eep 
the  ears  from  touching  and 
permit  air  to  sweep  around 
the  ears.  This  plan  has  an 
advantage  over  the  first 
plan  in  providing  for  more 
ears  in  a  small  space.  After 
ten  or  twelve  ears  are  "see- 
sawed "  in,  the  tops  of  the 
string  are  fastened  to  a  nail. 


There  are  sev- 
eral simple  ways 
of  keeping  safe  the 
seed  ears.  One  of 
the  most  conven- 
ient is  shown  in 
Fig.  80.  You  no- 
tice that  the  ears 
are  fastened  by 
strong  strings  to 
a  hanging  pole ; 
that  each  ear  is 
hung  so  as  not  to 

reaches  all  the  ears. 

as  the  "  two-string  " 


Fig.  81.    The  "Seesaw" 
Method 


STORING  THE  SEED 


117 


In  order  that  one  man  may  string  the  ears,  a  shuttle 
device  (see  Fig.  82)  was  invented  to  push  the  strings 
backward  and  forward  as  the  ears  are  pushed  in. 

A  third  plan  is  known 
as  the  wooden-slat  method. 
As  you  see  from  Fig.  83, 
wooden  slats  are  nailed  on 
each  side  of  two  posts.  This 
makes  an  airy  shelf  and 
takes    up    ver)^    little    room. 


Fig.  82.  Stringing  Devicf         Fig.  <S3.  Woodex-Sl.\t  Method 

According  to  a  fourth  plan  nails  without  heads 
hold  the  ears.  The  nails  may  be  driven  into  a  pole 
supported  as  shown  in  Fig.  84,  or  into  a  plank  to 
w^hich  a  string  is  fastened  to  hang  the  plank  out 
of  the  way.  This  plan  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  85.  Be 
sure  that  the  nails  are  suiHciently  far  apart  to  hold 
the  ears  without  their  touching.  A  large  "corn  tree," 
as  this  sort  of  frame  is  called,  will  hold  conveniently 


ii; 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


from  two  to  three  bushels  of  seed  ears,  which  will 

be  enough   to  plant  from   fifteen  to  twenty  acres. 

Still  a  fifth  plan  is  a  wire  rack  cut  from  welded 

wire  fencing.    This  method  is  shown  in  Fig.  86.    In 

the  United  States  over  a 
hundred  million  acres  are 
planted  in  corn  each  year. 
Every   one    of    these   acres 


v^^ 


'  vv\/~.. 


^w^^ 

0/^^ 


Fig.  84.    A  Corn  Tree 


Fig.  85,   A  Hanging 
Corn  Tree 


would  yield  several  bushels  more  if  it  were  seeded 
with  selected,  early-gathered,  well-dried,  and  care- 
fully stored  ears.  The  planting  of  weak,  damaged, 
or  dead  seeds  causes  an  annual  loss  of  millions  of 
dollars.    This  loss  can  easily  be  prevented.    Surely 


STORING  THE  SEED 


119 


every  grower  wishes  to  know  how,  by  simple  devices, 
to  save  his  country  from  so  enormous  a  loss. 

To  sum  up,  there  are  two  ways  to  insure  good 
seed  and  thus  save  so  many  lost  bushels.  Each  of 
these  ways  requires 
a  little  extra  work  in 
the  fall  and  in  the 
spring.  The  added 
work  in  the  fall  will 
be  to  select  your 
seed  in  the  field  and 
to  gather  it  early  be- 
fore it  is  damaged  by 
rain,  cold,  or  disease, 
and  then  to  store  it 
wisely.  There  will 
usually  be  little  fail- 
ure to  sprout  or  to 
yield  when  fields  are 
planted  with  selected 
seed  ears  which  have 

been,  first,  produced  by  excellent  home-grown  par- 
ents ;  second,  gathered  soon  after  they  ripened ; 
third,  dried  carefully  and  thoroughly ;  fourth,  stored 
securely  until  planting-time. 

What  is  the  spring  task  that  will  call  for  some 
painstaking  but  delightful  labor?  It  is  to  test  each 
of  these  treasured  seed  ears  in  order  to  remove  all 
doubt  whether  it  has  power  to  germinate  and  to  make 


Fig.  86.   A  Wire  Seed  Rack 


I20      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

a  healthful  growth.   In  no  other  way  than  by  testing 
can  you  be  sure  that  your  seed  will  germinate. 

POINTS  FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Why  should  you  never  store  your  seed  corn  in  the  husks? 

2.  A  farmer  who  stored  his  seed  ears  in  boxes  found  in  the 
spring  that  with  a  fine  season  and  good  seed  he  had  a  very  poor 
stand  of  young  plants.    Can  you  explain  to  him  why  this  was  so  ? 


Fig.  87.    Arkaxgixg  the  Ears 

3.  In  what  month  is  a  freezing  spell  most  likely  to  injure 
seed  ears.^ 

4.  Can  you  think  of  some  reasons  why  air-drying  is  better  for 
seed  ears  than  fire-drying  ? 

5.  Why  should  you  protect  seed  ears  from  late-ripening 
varieties  of  corn  more  carefully  than  ears  from  early-ripening 
kinds  ? 


CHAPTER  X' 

HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN 

The  sawdust  plan  of  testing  the  power  of  seed  to 
germinate  is  practiced  on  thousands  of  farms  every 
season.  Men  are  learning  that  they  cannot  afford 
to  plant  an  ear  of  corn  without  knowing  that  it  will 
grow.  The  test  is  simple  and  can  be  made  by  almost 
any  intelligent  child.  The  steps  outlined  below  and 
the  illustrations  show  how  the  selected  ears  are  tested. 

1.  Arranging  the  ears  {Fig.  Sy).  Put  the  ears  side  by 
side  on  a  table,  planks,  or  anything  that  may  be  convenient 
for  the  purpose, 

2.  Picking  oui  the  weak  and  poor  ears  {Fig.  SS).  After 
the  ears  are  placed  on  the  table  study  each  carefully.  Time 
and  work  can  be  saved  by  throwing  out  any  ears  that  appear 
weak  before  a  germination  test  is  made.  Ask  the  following 
questions  as  you  examine  each  ear : 

a.  Will  it  yield  ?  that  is,  will  it  produce  a  profitable  crop 
in  my  vicinity  ?  Has  it  vigor  and  hardiness  ?  Among  the 
things  that  show  good  yielding  qualities  are  proper  size  and 
shape  of  ear,  firmness  and  weight  of  ear,  depth  of  kernel, 
size  of  germ,  well-filled  tip  and  butt, 

b.  Will  it  ripen  ?  that  is,  will  it  mature  on  my  farm  this 
year  and  its  seed  every  year  thereafter  ?  Lack  of  maturing 
power  is  shown  by  an  ear  if  it  is  too  large  and  if  its  kernels 

1  This  chapter  is  adapted  from  "  Seed  Corn "  by  the  courteous  per- 
mission of  the  authors,  Professors  P.  G.  Holden  and  J.  E.  Waggoner. 

121 


122 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


are  chaffy,  light  of  weight,  loose  on  the  cob,  and  of  a  dull, 
starchy  appearance. 

c.    Will  it  groiv  f   that  is,  is  each  kernel  clear,  bright, 
smooth,  and  horny,  with  a,  large  germ,  or  heart  ?    When  the 


Fig. 


Throwing  out  Poor  Ears 


germs  are  dull-colored,  cheesy  in  appearance,  or  of  a  dark 
color,  the  ear  should  be  thrown  out.  On  the  other  hand, 
white,  brittle  germs  show  strength. 

d.  Does  it  show  improvement?  that  is,  from  appearance 
does  the  ear  indicate  that  there  have  been  men  of  brains  in 
charge  of  its  improvement  and  that  they  have  spent  years 
in  carefully  selecting  its  parents  1    Does  the  ear  resemble 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN 


12 


such  ears  as  uniformly  reproduce  themselves  in  type,  in 
time  of  maturity,  in  size  and  shape  of  ear  and  kernel  ? 

Ears  that  are  to  be  rejected  should  be  carried  to  the  feed 
bin  or  corn  crib,  in  order  that  you  may  avoid  any  possible 
chance  of  getting  them  mixed  with  the  seed  corn  by  mistake. 


Fig. 


Examining  the  Remaining  Ears 


3.  Inspecting  the  kernels  of  each  ear  {Fig.  Sg).  After 
the  choicest  ears  appear  to  have  been  selected,  the  next 
step  is  to  inspect  carefully  the  kernels  of  each  of  these 
ears.  Take  two  or  three  kernels  from  each  ear,  about  a 
third  of  the  length  of  the  ear  from  the  butt;  lay  them 
germ  side  up  at  the  tip  end  of  the  ear  from  which  they 
were  taken.  If  the  kernels  are  small,  narrow,  shallow, 
too    deep,    or   show    immaturity,    starchiness,    tendency   to 


124 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


mold,  or  if  the  germs  are  small,  shriveled,  blistered,  weak, 
or  frozen,  the  ears  should  be  rejected. 

The  work  of  throwing  out  the  poor  ears — those  that  from 
their  appearance  are  unfit  for  seed  —  is  easily  done.  Has 
this  inspection,  however,  made  it  sure  that  the  remaining 


Fig.  90.    Laving  out  Ears  by  Tens 


ears  will  sprout  and  grow }  Not  at  all ;  no  one  can  tell  from 
such  an  inspection  that  the  kernels  of  these  ears  are  certain 
to  grow.  We  shall  have  to  test  kernels  from  each  ear  to  obtain 
such  certainty.  The  following  steps  show  how  this  is  done  : 
4.  Numbering  the  cars  {Fig.  go).  Lay  out  the  ears  in  rows 
and  separate  into  groups  of  ten  each,  as  shown  above.  It 
will  not  be  necessary  to  number  all  the  ears,  but  only  those 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN 


125 


on  the  right  of  the  nails,  as  shown  in  Fig.  90.  The  numbers 
will  read,  i ,  11,  21,  and  so  on  for  each  row. 

5.  Preparing  saivdiist  {Fig.  gi).    The  sawdust  to  be  used 
in  making  the  test  should  be  put  in  a  gunny  sack  and  soaked 


Fig.  gi.    Prepakixg  Sawdust 

in  warm  water  at  least  an  hour  or,  better  still,  overnight. 
While  thus  soaking  the  sawdust  it  should  be  well  covered 
with  water,  as  shown  in  Fig.  92.  If  new  sawdust  is  used,  be 
sure  to  soak  it  at  least  one  night. 


126 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


In  most  sections  sawdust  can  be  obtained  from  ice  houses, 
sawmills,  lumberyards,  meat  markets,  or  elsewhere. 

6.  Removing  excess  xvatcr  (Fig.  (^J).    This  figure  shows 
a  method  of  removing  the  excess  water  from  the  sawdust. 

Too  much  water  will 
make  the  sawdust 
cold  and  sogg}-,  and 
that  would  make  the 
germination  slower. 
Treading  is  also  a 
good  way  to  remove 
the  excess  water. 

7.  Preparing  the 
germination  box 
{Figs.  g4  and  95). 
Any  ordinary  shal- 
low wooden  box;  can 
be  used  as  a  germi- 
nation box.  After 
selecting  a  box,  ffll  it 
about  half  full  ofthe 
warm,  well-soaked 
sawdust  and  pack 
it  down  firmly  with 
a  brick.  The  top  of  the  sawdust  should  be  even  and  level. 
The  germination  cloth  should  now  be  put  in  the  box  and 
tucked  in  carefully  around  the  edges.  Notice  that  there  is  a 
margin  of  2!  inches  around  the  edge  of  the  cloth  and  that 
the  squares  ^are  2\  by  2%  inches.  The  germination  box 
should  be  30  by  30  inches  and  4  inches  deep.  The  box  can 
be  saved  from  year  to  year.  This  box  is  large  enough  to 
test  100  ears  of  corn. 


Fig.  92.  Covering  Sawdust  with  Water 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN 


127 


8.  Removing  kernels  for  gerinination  box  {Fig.  gO). 
Remove  six  kernels  from  six  different  places  in  ear  i  and 
place  them  in  a  square  of  the  box  and  mark  it  i.  In  removing 
kernels  take  two  from  near  the  butt  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  ear,  two  from  the 
middle,  and  two  from 
near  the  tip.  In  draw- 
ing these  kernels  turn 
the  ear  so  as  not  to 
take  two  kernels  out  of 
the  same  row.  Do  the 
same  with  all  the  ears 
until  the  germination  box 
is  full  and  each  square 
is  numbered. 

9.  Placing  the  kernels 
i)i  tJic  box{Fig.()j).  The 
kernels  should  be  laid  in 
the  squares  with  the  tips 
all  one  way  and  the  germ 
side  up.  Care  in  placing 
the  kernels  will  assist 
very  much  in  reading 
the  tests  later. 

10.  Laying  on  the 
cover   cloth    {Fig.   gS). 

As  soon  as  the  kernels  are  all  carefully  arranged  the  box  is 
ready  for  the  cover  cloth.  Remember  to  dip  the  cover  cloth 
in  warm  water  and  wring  it  out  before  placing  it  over  the 
kernels.  Place  the  cover  cloth  without  disturbing  the  posi- 
tion of  the  kernels.  This  cloth  helps  to  keep  the  kernels 
in  place  and  should  always  be  used. 


Fig.  93.    Removing  Excess  Water 


128 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


11.  Laying  on  the  top  cloth  {Fig.  gg).  The  top  cloth  fits 
just  over  the  cover  cloth.  It  should  be  several  inches  larger 
than  the  germination  box,  so  that  it  may  be  folded  over  the 
top  after  it  has  received  the  sawdust. 

12.  Packing  saivdust  {Fig.  1 00).  The  space  in  the  box 
above  the  cover  cloth  should  now  be  filled  with  warm  sawdust, 


Fig.  94.    Preparixg  Germination  Box 


packed  down  carefully,  either  as  shown  in  Fig.  100  or  with 
a  brick  as  in  Fig.  94.    The  brick  is  usually  preferable. 

13.  Covering  the  box  {Fig.  1 01).  This  shows  how  the  top 
cloth  should  be  folded  in  over  the  edges  of  the  germination 
box. 

14.  Raising  side  of  box  {Fig.  102).  The  side  of  the  box 
toward  which  the  crowns  of  the  kernels  are  pointed  should 
be  raised.  If  this  is  done  the  kernels,  when  germinating, 
will  follow  the  laws  of  nature  and  send  the  stems  toward 


Fig.  95.    PuTTixG  Gkrmixation  Cloth  ix  Box 


Fig.  96.    Removing  Kerxels  for  Germixatiox  Box 


Fk;.  97.  Placixg  Kkrxki.s  i.\  tiii-.  Squares 


Fig.  98.  Laying  on  Cover  Cloth 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN  I3I 

the  upper  part  of  the  box,  and  the  roots  will  go  downward. 
This  arrangement  of  stems  and  roots  will  be  a  great  help  in 
reading  the  final  test  which  shows  the  ears  that  are  fit  for  seed. 


Fig.    99.    Laying  ox  Top  Cloth 

15.  Waiting  for  seed  to  germinate  {Fig.  lOJ).  The  figure 
shows  a  convenient  arrangement  for  holding  the  ears  in 
place  until  the  germination  test  is  ready  to  read.  It  is  simply 
to  place  a  board  over  the  rows  to  keep  the  ears  in  place.  It 
usually  takes  from  seven  to  eight  days  for  corn  to  germinate 
well.    When  several  tests  are  to  be  made,  the  boxes  may,  for 


132 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


convenience  of  storing,  be  placed  on  top  of  one  another. 
The  boxes  should  now  be  put  away  in  an  ordinary  living 
room,  cellar  with  furnace,  or  some  other  warm  place. 

1 6.  Removing  the  top  cloth  {Figs.  lO/f  and  10^).  To  find 
whether  the  kernels  are  ready  for  examination  remove  the 

top  cloth,  including 
the  sawdust. 

The  top  cloth 
should  always  be  re- 
moved carefully  so 
as  not  to  displace 
any  of  the  kernels. 
When  the  sprouts 
are  about  two  inches 
long  it  is  time  to 
read  the  tests. 

■  17.  Readifig  the 
test  {Fig.  106).  The 
test  shows  what  ker- 
nels are  either  weak 
or  dead.  The  weak  or 
dead  ears  from  which 
these  kernels  came 
should  be  put  in  the 
feed  bin.  The  ears 
whose  kernels  show 
from  medium  to  strong  sprouts  and  the  ones  that  were  slow 
in  starting  to  sprout  should  be  put  together  and  carefully 
labeled  to  prevent  any  mistakes  in  the  future.  The  ears 
from  which  these  kernels  were  plucked  should  be  used  only 
in  case  there  is  a  shortage  of  seed  corn.  They  should  be 
tested  again  before  they  are  used  as  seed. 


Fig.  100.    Packing  the  Warm  Sawdust 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN 


133 


18.  A  scctioN  of  a  germination  box  (Fig.  10"/).    For  the 
reasons   given   below,   ears   2,    11,    12,   and   24   should  be 


Fig.  10 1.    CovERiNTG  the  Tester 


immediately  removed  and  carried  to  the  feed  bin  for  fear 
they  may  get  mixed  with  the  others  by  mistake.  The  kernels 
of  ear  2  are  weak.    One  kernel  has  not  sprouted  at  all,  only 


Fk;.  I02.    K.Msixc;  oxk  Sun-.  (1f  the  Box 


Fig.  103.   Waitixg  for  Seed  to  Germinate 


Fk;.  104.  Removing  Top  Cloth 


Fig.  105.  Removing  the  Cover  Cloth 


Fig.  io6.   Reading  the  Test 


Fig.  107.    Section  of  Germination  Box 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN 


137 


swollen  a  little.  The  kernels  of  ear  1 1  show  one  dead  and 
one  weak  kernel ;  ear  1 3  has  six  dead  kernels  ;  ear  24,  three 
dead  kernels.  The  kernels  from  ears  21  and  23  are  weak 
and  slow  in  sprouting  and  should  be  put  to  one  side  and  not 
used  unless  necessary.    The  kernels  from  ears  i,  3,  4,  12, 


Fig.  108.    Shelling  the  Corn 


14,  and  22  show  vigorous  sprouts.  Ears  like  2,  which  show 
some  life,  if  planted  will  produce  plants  that  will  grow  slowly 
all  summer  and  probably  produce  little  or  no  grain. 

Many  experiments  have  proved  that  weak  ears,  like  2, 
when  planted  beside  strong  ears,  like  22,  produce  only  about 
half  as  much  corn.  The  results  of  thousands  of  tests  show 
that  there  is  often  from  15  to  60  bushels  less  yield  from 
weak  seed  than  from  strong.  There  is  no  doubt  that  testing 
pays.    Test  every  ear.    Do  not  guess. 


138 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


19.  Butting  and  tipping.  After  removing  the  weak  and 
dead  ears,  and  selecting  ears  for  the  breeding  plat  from  which 
to  obtain  next  year's  seed  corn,  butt  and  tip  the  remaining 
ears.    You  are  now  sure  that  they  are  excellent  seed  ears.    . 

20.  Shelling  the  corn  {Fig.  108).  Each  ear  should  be 
shelled  by  itself  and  its  kernels  carefully  examined.    Are  the 


Fig.  109.    Hanging  up  Corn  from  the  Best  Ears 


kernels  well  shaped  ?  Do  they  carry  their  size  well  down 
to  the  tip  ?  Have  they  a  clear,  clean  color,  and  a  bright, 
healthy,  horny  appearance  ?  If  they  do  not  possess  these 
qualities,  the  ears  from  which  they  were  drawn  should  be 
thrown  into  the  feed  bin.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  kernels 
are  large  and  the  quality  is  good,  put  them  in  the  box  marked 
"First  grade  —  large  size."  If  the  kernels  are  only  second 
rate  in  quality,  they  should  be  marked  "Second  grade  — 
large  size."  The  small-sized  kernels  should  be  treated  in  the 
same  way.   Seed  from  the  first  grade  should  be  planted  first. 


HOW  TO  TEST  SEED  CORN  1 39 

Do  not  use  the  second  grade  unless  necessaty.  Careful  atten- 
tion to  grading  each  ear  after  it  has  been  shelled  will  help 
in  deciding  what  plates  to  use  in  the  planter  in  order  to 
secure  a  uniform,  regular  dropping. 

21.  Caring  fo7-  seed  until  planti7ig-thnc  {Fig.  lOg).  After 
the  seed  has  been  sorted,  tested,  shelled,  and  graded  for  the 
planter,  it  should  be  sacked,  a  half  bushel  in  each  sack,  and 
hung  up  in  a  dry  place  where  it  will  not  freeze.  Either  a 
dry,  well-ventilated  attic,  or  basement  with  a  furnace  is  a 
good   place   for  hanging  the   seed. 

■  Notice  especially  the  white  sacks  on  the  left  bearing  the 
label  "'  Seed  from  the  100  Best  Ears."  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
put  the  best  seed  into  white  sacks  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  general  supply  of  seed,  which,  it  will  be  noticed,  has 
been  put  into  gunny  sacks. 

Be  sure  in  planting  to  use  the  best  seed  first.  Plant  this 
seed  on  one  side  of  the  field  and  from  it  pick  your  seed 
corn  for  next  year's  planting. 


CHAPTER  XI 

SOIL  FOR  CORN 

Ready  now  with  choice  seed,  you  must  decide  in 
what  sort  of  soil  to  plant  this  seed.  There  are,  as 
you  perhaps  already  know,  many  kinds  of  soil.  You 
do  not  care  to  waste  your  selected  seed  on  land  un- 
fit for  corn.    What  type  of  soil  must  you  choose  ? 

One  of  the  reasons  why  corn  is  king  among  the 
grains  is  that  it  thrives  on  so  wide  a  variety  of  soils. 
Some  of  the  highest  yields  have  been  made  on  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  soil.  Dr.  Z.  V.  Drake  of  Marlborough 
County,  South  Carolina,  grew  239  bushels  on  an  acre 
of  sandy  land.  So  w^ell  had  this  originally  poor  acre 
of  sandy  land  been  prepared  for  corn  that  Dr.  Drake 
had  to  set  posts  and  tack  strips  along  his  rows  to 
hold  the  crowding  plants  in  place.  Charles  Parker, 
a  Hertford  County,  North  Carolina,  boy,  produced 
2 1 3  bushels  on  an  acre  of  sandy  loam.  E.  S.  Fursman 
of  Woodford  County,  Illinois,  found  that  he  could 
grow  160  bushels  on  one  acre  of  the  usual  type  of 
prairie  soil.  Mr.  Alfred  Rose  of  Penn  Yan,  New 
York,  coaxed  an  acre  of  clay  land  to  yield  199  bushels. 

These  examples  prove  that  any  well-drained  soil 
which  has  a  fair  supply  of  humus  in  it  will,  with 
good  seed,  careful  cultivation,  skillful  fertilizing,  and 

140 


SOIL  FOR  CORN  141 

sufficient  rain,  produce  a  paying  corn  crop.  If,  how- 
ever, you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have  a  choice  of 
soils,  select  a  deeply  drained,  finely  grained,  black, 
brown,  red,  or  sandy  loam  for  your  corn. 

Let  us  take,  for  example,  a  boy  who  has  decided  to 
enter  the  next  year's  contest  for  the  highest  yield  of 


Fig.  1 10.   Charles  Parker  and  his  Two  Hundred  and  Thir- 
teen BrsHELS  OF  Corn  from  One  Acre 

corn  on  one  acre.  His  father  offers  him  the  choice 
of  any  acre  on  his  farm,  but  for  some  reason  prefers 
his  taking  a  field  already  planted  in  corn.  Would 
it  not  be  wise  for  the  boy  to  go  over  the  farm  while 
the  present  crop  is  growing  ?  Would  this  not  show 
him  what  soil  might  be  counted  on  for  a  high  yield 
provided  he  did  his  part  ?  Would  it  not  also  show 
what  land  to  avoid  ? 


142      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

Suppose  he  went  first  to  a  field  like  the  one 
pictured  in  Fig.  iii.  What  would  these  spindling 
stalks,  narrow  leaves,  and  vacant  hills  tell  him  about 
the  soil  ?  Would  there  be  much  chance  to  make 
such  soil  rich  in  one  year?  Should  not  the  boy 
decide  against  such  an  acre  ?  Have  you  ever  noticed 
how  some  farmers  plant  corn  in  fields  which,  like 
this  one,  have  already  proved  themselves  too  poor  to 
grow  a  paying  crop  ?  What,  instead  of  corn,  ought 
to  be  planted  in  such  a  field  ? 

Suppose  the  boy  in  search  of  a  good  acre  went 
next  to  such  a  field  as  is  pictured  in  Fig.  1 1 2.  Notice 
that  there  is  some  good  corn  in  this  field.  What 
effect,  however,  would  the  barren  spots  have  ?  Could 
the  boy  hope  to  get  a  high  yield  if  he  lost  a  part  of 
his  acre  on  account  of  such  spots?  Would  it  not 
be  hard  for  him  to  equal  the  yield  of  a  boy  who  was 
using  land  without  such  spots?  If  the  boy  knew  a 
year  ahead  that  he  would  be  obliged  to  grow  his 
crop  on  such  land,  could  he  have  made  these  eye- 
sores fertile?  Until  he  could  improve  all  these 
spots,  would  it  not  be  best  for  him  to  select  his 
acre  elsewhere  ? 

Next,  suppose  the  boy,  with  his  eyes  still  open, 
came  to  a  field  like  the  one  in  Fig.  1 1 3.  What 
would  the  swamp  grass  on  the  left  and  in  the  center 
of  the  picture  tell  him  about  such  spots  ?  Would 
not  these  also  cut  down  his  yield  ?  Could  he  afford 
to  select  an  acre  from  a  field  with  such  places  in  it? 


Fig.  im.    Son.  too  Took  foij  Cok\ 


Fig.  112.   Barren  Spots  cut  down  Yield 


144      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

Would  it  be  easier  to  get  rid  of  these  barren  spots 
than  of  those  in  the  other  field  ? 

Let  us  follow  the  boy  to  still  another  field.  Do  you 
see  any  reason  why  he  should  not  select  an  acre 
from  such  a  field  as  is  set  before  you  in  Fig.  114? 
Look  at  the  rows  alongside  the  woods.  Would  not 
such  rows  bring  down  the  boy's  yield  if  he  chose  an 
acre  too  near  a  forest?  The  soil  on  which  these 
rows  are  growing  is  as  fertile  as  the  other  soil  in 
the  field.  What  kept  these  rows  from  getting  plant 
food  ?  Did  the  trees  steal  from  them  ?  The  corn 
at  a  distance  from  the  trees  is  excellent.  If  the  boy 
can  find  no  better  field  than  this  one,  where  should 
he  lay  off  his  plat  ?  Should  seed  and  labor  ever  be 
wasted  on  rows  next  to  woods? 

Still  hoping  to  find  a  field  near  his  ideal,  the 
young  seeker  comes  to  a  field  similar  to  the  one 
shown  in  Fig.  1 1 5.  Do  you  not  agree  with  him  that 
while  the  corn  is  fairly  good,  weeds  are  thick?  Will 
not  the  soil  next  year  be  even  more  full  of  weeds? 
Would  this  not  make  the  boy  labor  harder  to  keep 
his  crop  clean  ?  If  the  season  should  be  wet,  could 
he  keep  the  weeds  down  ?  Would  you  select  an  acre 
from  such  a  field  ? 

In  Fig.  1 16  you  see  that  the  boy  has  found  a  more 
promising  field  than  any  yet  examined.  Are  there 
any  weeds  in  sight?  Are  there  any  scalded  or  un- 
drained  spots?  Are  there  any  woods  close  by? 
Does  not  the  level  land  lead  you  to  think  that  there 


Fig.  113.    Soil  too  Wet  in  Spots 


Fig.  114.   Yield  cut  down  by  Trees 


Fig.  115.   Weeds  reduce  Yields 


Fig.  116.   A  Good  Crop  but  no  Thought  for  Next  Year 


Fig.  117.   A  Good  Crop  of  Corn  with  Next  Year  in  Mind 


Fig.  118.    Result  of  neglecting  the  Soil 


148 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


will  be  no  washing  away  of  costly  plant  food  ?  Does 
not  the  luxuriant  growth  of  stalks  convince  you 
that  the  soil  is  rich  ?  Do  you  find  any  crop  between 
the  rows? 

Just  as  the  boy  is  about  to  decide  on  this  field 
his  eyes  fall  on   a  field   in   front   of  him.    Such  a 

field  is  pictured  in 
Fig.  1 1 7.  Do  you 
find  that  this  field 
has  all  the  good 
qualities  of  the 
field  in  which  the 
boy  is  standing? 
Do  not  fail  to  note 
the  cowpeas  grow- 
ing in  this  field. 
Bearing  in  mind 
that  cowpeas  en- 
rich soil,  would 
this  field  have  an  advantage  over  the  other?  If  it  is 
just  as  good  in  all  other  qualities  would  the  boy  be 
right  in  taking  the  last  field  ?  Would  you  select  it  ? 
If  a  young  farmer  is  bent  on  raising  high-yielding 
corn  crops,  will  he  not  have  to  keep  his  land  free 
from  the  drawbacks  just  considered?  Compare  the 
field  in  Fig.  118  with  the  fields  in  Figs.  117  and  119. 
Carelessness  and  ignorance  have  caused  the  soil  in 
the  first  field  to  lose  its  power.  Skill  and  knowledge 
have  kept  the  latter  fields  full  of  plant  food. 


Fig.  119.   This  Crop  shows  Skillful 
Handling  of  the  Soil 


SOIL  FOR  CORN 


POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 


149 


1.  Does  every  tree  in  a  cornfield  reduce  the  yield  of  the  field  ? 

2.  What  would  be  a  thoughtful  thing  to  do  with  the  land  near 
a  piece  of  woods  ? 

3.  Before  you  tr)^  to  get  rid  of  a  barren  spot  what  ought  you  to 
tn,'  to  find  out  ? 

4.  If  a  boy  lost  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  ears  for  each 
barren  spot  in  his  acre,  and  he  had  four  such  spots,  how  many 
bushels  would  he  lose  ?  What  per  cent  of  a  checked  acre  with  the 
rows  four  feet  apart,  with  the  hills  four  feet  in  the  row,  and  with 
three  stalks  to  the  hill  would  this  loss  be  ? 

5.  Besides  adding  to  the  labor  of  cultivation,  what  ill  effects  do 
weeds  have  on  your  crops  ? 


CHAPTER  XII 

FIRST  STEPS  IN  CULTIVATION 

One  of  the  tilings  giving  zest  to  corn-growing  is 
that  the  crop  must  be  managed  in  so  many  different 
ways.    Even  the  earhest  preparation  for  the  coming 


v 


FlC;.    120.      A    SlLIW;!.!:.    l-'lKl.lJ    lO    J;l-   .MAUI::   K1,A1)V    iDlv    C(Jiv.\ 

crop  varies  somewhat  widely  in  time  and  manner. 
After  you  have  set  aside  certain  fields  for  corn,  you 
cannot  begin  your  preparation  of  these  fields  in  the 
same  fashion.  The  preparatory  work  will  depend 
largely  on  what  crop  the  corn  is  to  follow. 

If  you  have  selected  a  field  which  was  planted  in 
wheat,  oats,  or  rye,  what  will  be  your  first  step  in 
preparing  for  your  corn  ?  The  harvesting  of  the 
small  grain  in  the  early  summer  will  leave  the  land 

150 


FIRST  STEPS  IN  CULTIVATION 


151 


in  the  condition  shown  in  Fig.  120.  Above  the  sur- 
face are  the  butts  of  the  grain  stalks ;  below  the 
surface  is  a  fairly  thick  tangle  of  roots.  The  decay 
of  these  butts  and  roots  will  improve  the  soil  and 
thus  be  helpful  to  the  corn.  In  thinking  over  plans 
for  your  first  cultivation  of  such  a  field  two  ques- 
tions arise :    Shall  you  let  the  field  lie  untouched 


Fuj.  121.    DisKixci  A  SjriinLE  Field 


until  time  for  the  fall  plowing,  or  shall  you  disk 
it  as  soon  as  the  grain  is  removed?  Which  will  be 
the  better  plan  ? 

If  you  disk  the  field,  what  will  result?  Let  us 
see.  First,  will  not  the  soil  dry  out  less  because  the 
diskinor  will  leave  an  earth  mulch  on  the  surface? 
Will  not  this  dry  mulch  save  moisture  that  would 
be  lost  during  the  summer  months?  Will  not  all 
saved  moisture  be  helpful  to  your  crop  ? 


152 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Second,  will  not  this  disking  check  a  growth  of 
weeds  during  the  summer?  Would  not  a  crop  of 
weeds  rob  the  soil  of  much  plant  food  ? 

Third,  would  not  the  disking  loosen  the  soil  and  keep 
it  from  turning  up  in  clods  during  the  fall  plowing? 


Fig.  122.   A  Legume  to  help  Next  Year's  Crop 


Fourth,  would  not  the  disking  make  the  grain 
stubble  rot  faster?    How  would  this  help  the  soil? 

Would  you  gain  anything  but  a  saving  of  labor 
by  not  disking?  Do  not  all  the  advantages  seem, 
therefore,  to  be  on  the  side  of  disking?  There  is 
only  one  case  in  which  you  would  not  find  disking 
the  wise  plan.  In  sections  of  our  country  where 
summer  crops  grow,  one  of  these  should  follow  the 


FIRST  STEPS  IN  CULTIVATION  153 

grain  and  be  your  first  step  in  preparation  for  corn. 
With  this  exception  shall  not  a  prompt  disking  of 
small  grain  stubble  be  your  earliest  work  in  getting 
such  land  ready  for  corn  ? 

What  are  these  summer  crops?  What  will  be 
gained  by  planting  one  of  them  just  before  corn? 
You  perhaps  already  know  that  such  crops  are 
called  legumes.  The  name  "  legume  "  is  one  given  to 
a  family  of  plants  which  have  the  wonderful  power  of 
gathering  nitrogen  from  the  air  and  fixing  it  in  the 
soil.  There  are  two  classes  of  legumes :  one  class, 
containing  among  others  the  cowpeas  and  soy  beans, 
grows  in  summer;  the  other  class,  containing  the 
clovers  and  vetches,  grows  in  the  winter  months. 

If  you  are  farming  in  a  climate  suited  to  these 
summer  crops,  you  should  never  fail  to  call  one  of 
them  to  your  aid  in  providing  food  for  corn.  How 
does  such  a  crop  pave  the  way  for  a  big  corn  yield  ? 

First,  as  just  seen,  it  adds  nitrogen  to  the  soil. 
Nitrogen  is  the  most  costly  of  the  plant  foods  and 
one  of  the  most  needed. 

Second,  it  will  produce  a  dense  foliage.  If  this 
is  plowed  under,  the  decaying  foliage  will  add  much 
humus  to  the  soil. 

Third,  it  will  keep  down  weeds  and  prevent  wash- 
ing and  leaching,  and  injurious  baking  during  the 
summer. 

Winter  legumes,  such  as  the  clovers,  thrive  in 
some  of  the  same  sections  in  which  summer  legumes 


154 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


do.  If  you  live  in  such  a  section  and  are  really  in 
earnest  about  harvesting  a  big  crop  of  corn,  would 
it  not  be  a  capital  plan  to  plant  crimson  clover  just 
after  the  summer  legume  ?  The  cowpeas  or  soy  beans 


Fig.  123.   A  Winter  Legume  following  a  Summer  Legume 

can  be  turned  under  or  cut  for  forage  in  time  to 
sow  the  clover.  The  clover,  in  turn,  completes  its 
growth  in  time  to  plant  the  corn.  Would  not  the 
clover  add  still  more  nitrogen  and  humus  to  your 
corn  soil  ?  Would  this  not  leave  your  land  in  better 
condition  in  the  spring  ?  Would  it  not,  at  the  same 
time,  prove  an  excellent  cover  crop  to  save  your  land 
from  washing  and  leaching  during  the  winter.? 


FIRST  STEPS  IN  CULTIVATION 


155 


In  case  you  planted  either  cowpeas  or  soy  beans, 
both  summer  growers,  and  did  not  follow  these  by 
clover,  what  should  be  your  first  steps  in  getting  ready 
for  corn  after  this  crop  ?  There  are  two  plans  open 
to  you.  The  first  is  to  turn  under  the  vines  after  you 
have  set  apart  enough  to  ripen  for  seed.  The  vines 
will,  of  course,  be  changed  into  humus  during  the 
winter.  By  this  plan  will  not  your  land  be  enriched 
by  the  nitrogen  which  the  roots  have  gathered  ? 
Will  it  not  also  be  enriched  by  the  humus  from 
both  roots  and  vines?  Will  the  turning  under  of 
this  mass  of  vegetation  prevent  washing?  The 
second  plan  is  to  cut  the  vines  for  forage  after  taking 
care  to  save  seed.  By  this  plan  the  soil  will  be  bene- 
fited only  by  the  nitrogen  and  humus  from  the  roots 
and  the  stubble. 

If  you  follow  the  second  plan,  would  you  have 
any  cover  crop  on  the  land  during  the  wintry  rains  ? 
Would  not  your  land,  therefore,  be  in  danger  of 
washing  and  losing  much  valuable  plant  food  ? 
Could  this  washing  and  leaching  be  lessened  by 
deep  fall  plowing?  Would  not  the  deep  plowing 
enable  the  water  to  sink  in  and  be  held  in  the  soil 
instead  of  running  off?  Would  not  the  ridging  of 
the  soil  by  the  plowing  also  open  the  way  for  it 
to  be  still  further  mellowed  by  the  winter's  freezing 
and  thawing?  If  the  fields  from  which  you  took 
the  legume  were  very  sloping,  would  even  deep 
plowing  save  them  from  washing?    With  sloping 


156 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


or  steep  lands  would  it  not  be  safest  to  wait  until 
spring  to  plow?  Spring  plowing,  however,  leads  to 
rather  rapid  loss  of  moisture.  Have  you  never  noted 
how  freshly  plowed  land  "  steams "  on  a  warm, 
spring  day?  The  "steaming"  is  merely  mois- 
ture rising  out  of  the  soil.    Could  you  not  stop  this 

loss  of  moisture 
by  harrowing  just 
after  plowing  so 
as  to  form  a  dry 
mulch  on  top  of 
the  soil  ?  If  the 
harrowing  will 
save  this  water, 
why  not  do  it  ? 

In  case  your 
way  is  clear  to 
plant  a  winter 
legume  like  crim- 
son clover  just  after  the  summer  legume,  what 
will  be  your  first  step  in  preparing  for  corn  after 
this  legume?  The  clover,  planted  in  the  fall,  is 
ready  for  harvesting  at  the  coming  of  spring.  Like 
the  summer  legume,  it  has  benefited  the  soil  by 
furnishing  nitrogen  and  by  lessening  washing  and 
leaching,  and  it  is  now  ready  to  supply  the  soil 
with  vegetable  matter.  Unlike  the  peas  or  beans, 
it  offered,  if  needed,  some  grazing  for  the  farm 
animals. 


Fig.  124.   Clover  CUT  for  Food 


FIRST  STEPS  IN  CULTIVATION  157 

Like  the  other  legume,  the  clover  may  be  used  in 
two  ways.  First,  it  may  be  turned  under  and  all  its 
vegetable  matter  changed  into  humus.  This  is  very 
helpful  to  the  land,  but  is  attended  by  one  danger. 
Sometimes  in  spring  the  growth  of  the  clover  is 
very  luxuriant.  If  you  turn  this  heavy  mass  of  vines 
under,  it  will  not  rot  at  once.  What  may  and  what 
often  does  happen  ?  The  plow  buries  this  tangled 
mass  of  vegetation.  There  it  lies  unrotted  for  a 
time  between  the  bottom  layer  of  earth  and  the  top 
layer.  It,  of  course,  separates  the  two  layers.  In  the 
top  layer  you  make  your  seed  bed  and  plant  your 
corn.  Then  what  becomes  of  the  moisture  that  ought 
to  supply  the  corn  ?  The  moisture  below  the  clover 
tries  to  rise,  but  is  stopped  by  the  clover.  Through 
the  clover  there  are  no  soil  tubes  to  lead  the  water 
upward  to  the  corn.  Hence  the  lower  water  is 
stopped.  The  moisture  in  the  seed  bed  is  soon  used 
up,  for  it  cannot  be  supplied  from  below.  Hence 
the  corn  is  left  thirsty,  with  an  abundance  of  water 
almost  in  reach. 

Can  you  think  of  a  simple  way  to  prevent  this 
unexpected  injury  to  the  young  corn?  If,  before 
plowing,  you  cut  the  clover  to  pieces  with  a  disk 
harrow,  would  not  this  prevent  it?  Would  such 
disking  also  hasten  the  rotting  of  the  vines?  Then, 
too,  would  it  not,  if  possible,  be  well  to  wait  two 
or  three  weeks  after  turning  under  the  clover  before 
making  your  seed  bed  ?    This  would  give  more  time 


I5S 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


for  the  clover  to  rot  and  allow  the  soil  tubes  to  con- 
tinue towards  the  surface.  Of  course,  if  the  clover 
was  not  very  thick  on  the  land  the  disking  would 
not  be  needed. 

The  other  method  of  using  the  clover  is  to  cut  it 
for  hay.    Will  this  method  add  as  much  humus  to 

the  soil?  If  you  turn 
in  only  the  stubble 
can  you  expect  to  in- 
crease your  land  in 
fertility  ? 

In  case  you  are  so 
unfortunate  as  to  be 
forced  to  plant  a  field 
in  corn  just  after  it 
has  been  in  corn,  what 
will  be  your  first  step 
in  preparation  ?  You 
know  that  crops  like 
corn  are  called  clean- 


FiG.  125.   Disking  in  the  Clover 


culture  crops.  The  name  was  given  because  at  the 
end  of  the  cultivating  season  nothing  but  the  crop 
is  supposed  to  be  on  the  ground.  There  is  little 
vegetable  matter  to  be  turned  under  to  aid  in  feed- 
ing the  next  crop,  for  the  cornstalks  do  not  supply 
much  humus.  Will  you  be  able  to  grow  a  fine  crop 
without  humus?  Will  you  not,  as  your  first  step, 
seek  to  provide  humus?  Could  you  do  this  in  any 
quicker  way  than  by  scattering  manure  over  your 


FIRST  STEPS  IN  CULTIVATION 


159 


fields?  Would  the  manure  add  both  humus  and 
plant  food  ?  If  you  broadcasted  the  manure  would 
it  not  lose  plant  food  if  it  were  left  uncovered  on 
the  ground  ?  Could  you  prevent  this  loss  if  you 
disked  the  manure  into  the  soil  as  soon  as  you 
finished    spreading    it?     Would    you    spread    your 


Fig.  126.   Manuring  when  Corn  must  follow  Corn 

manure  from  a  wagon  by  means  of  a  fork,  or  would 
you  use  a  manure-spreader?  Unless,  then,  you  are 
farming  in  a  state  where  summer  legumes  aid  the 
farmer,  the  first  step  to  take  in  following  corn  by 
corn  is  to  disk  in  manure. 

In  case  you  live  in  a  section  in  which  legumes 
are  commonly  grown,  can  you  not  keep  your  corn 
from  being  a  "  clean-culture  crop  "  ?  If  you  planted 
cowpeas  or  soy  beans  or  other  summer  legumes 
between  the  corn  rows,  would  you  not  get  from  the 


l6o      CORN  BOOK  1()R  YOUNG  FOLK 

legume  a  supply  of  vegetable  matter  to  go  back 
into  the  soil  ?  Would  this  not  save  the  cost  of 
manuring?  Or,  if  in  August  or  September,  you 
broadcasted  crimson  clover,  rye,  or  a  mixture  of  the 
two  in  the  corn,  would  )-ou  not  have  an  excellent 
way  of  returning  humus  to  the  soil  ?  Wc  ha\'C  just 
seen  the  great  help  such  crops  are  to  the  soil. 
Would  not,  therefore,  the  sowing  of  one  of  these 
crops  be  the  sensible  first  step  to  take? 

In  case  your  corn  is  to  be  planted  in  a  field  which 
has  been  in  cotton  or  tobacco,  what  would  be  your 
first  step  ?  Both  cotton  and  tobacco  are  clean-culture 
crops.  If  plowed  under,  the  stalks  and  leaves  of  the 
cotton  add  considerable  humus.  The  stems  of  the 
tobacco  would  add  very  little.  Cotton  and  tobacco 
grow  only  in  parts  of  the  country  in  which  legumes 
can  be  raised.  Could  you  not,  therefore,  follow  these 
two  crops  by  legumes,  as  w^as  suggested  in  the  case 
where  corn  follows  corn?  Can  you  think  of  any 
better  plan  to  help  vour  corn? 

APPLYING  THE  LESSON 

1.  If  you  plowed  under  a  heavy  crop  of  legumes,  would  you 
need  to  buy  much,  if  any,  nitrogen  ? 

2.  If  you  had  three  fields  to  prepare  for  corn  and  each  field 
had  just  borne  a  different  crop,  would  you  prepare  them  in  the 
same  way  ? 

3.  When  you  plow  under  a  heavy  crop  of  legumes  without 
disking,  why  do  you  frequently  get  so  poor  a  stand  of  corn?  Is 
this  especially  true  in  dry  weather  ? 


/^v^.^<V.  -.^v-^;-^^^,.  .^^r^'^^V-.  ,^''^-M-vi^ 


Fig.  128.  Getting  ready  for  Corn  by  growing  Bur  Clover 
IN  Cotton  Field 


1 62      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

4.  In  passing  a  plowman  you  see  that  he  is  turning  up  clods. 
If  there  were  enough  vegetable  matter  in  the  soil,  would  he  be 
troubled  with  these  clods  ? 

POINTS  FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Explain  why  bottom  lands  are  frequently  more  fertile  than 
the  neighboring  uplands. 

2.  Here  is  a  piece  of  land  which  packs  after  a  rain.  In  the 
light  of  this  lesson,  how  could  you  change  this  land  into  good 
corn  land  ? 

3.  Would  you  prefer  rye  or  clover  as  a  cover  crop  ?  Is  the  rye 
a  legume .-'  Would  it  add  any  nitrogen  ?  Would  both  crops  provide 
some  spring  grazing  ?  Which  can  be  removed  from  the  land 
the  earlier .'' 

4.  \Mien  the  owner  of  a  piece  of  land  found  it  had  little  humus 
left  in  it  he  planted  it  in  clover.  In  the  spring  he  was  undecided 
whether  to  cut  the  clover  or  turn  it  under.   Which  would  you  advise  ? 

5.  A  farmer  is  much  troubled  by  his  land's  washing.  Can  you 
mention  three  ways  to  lessen  the  washing  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  SECOND  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 

The  plow,  as  we  all  know,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
tools  of  the  farm.  In  its  first  form  it  was  only  a 
forked  stick.  It  was  drawn  in  earliest  days  by  man, 
but  when  he  tired  of  this  irksome  task,  animals  were 
harnessed  to  the  plow.  From  an  early  form  like  the 
clumsy  tool  illustrated  in  Fig.  129,  the  plow  has  been 
changed  to  costly  implements  like  that  pictured 
in  Fig.  130.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  two  of 
America's  ablest  statesmen — Thomas  Jefferson  and 
Daniel  Webster — were  inventors  of  plows.  During  all 
these  changes  the  plow  has  continued  to  be  the  main 
tool  of  cultivation.  So  clearly  has  this  been  under- 
stood that  farmers  are  called  followers  of  the  plow. 

We  would  think  that,  during  the  centuries  in 
which  the  plow  has  been  the  farmer's  mainstay 
in  cultivating  plants,  all  questions  as  to  plowing 
would  have  been  decided.  We  would  think  that  by 
now  every  "  follower  of  the  plow  "  would  know  why 
he  plows,  how  to  plow,  and  when  to  plow.  But  these 
questions,  the  most  important  in  farming,  are  still 
debated. 

If  you  were  asked  why  you  plow,  what  would  be 
your  answer?  A  thoughtful  farmer  on  being  asked 

163 


1 64      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

this  question  gave  the  following  reasons.  Do  you 
agree  with  him  ?  "  I  plow,"  said  he,  "  to  get  these 
results : 

"  First,  to  cover  with  earth  all  grass,  stalks,  leaves, 
and  other  vegetable  matter  on  the  land.  If  these 
are  covered  they  will  soon  rot  and  become  a  much- 
needed   part   of  the   soil. 

"  Second,  to  loosen  the  soil  so  that  rain,  instead  of 
running  off  from  hard  soil  and  being  lost,  may  easily 
soak  into  tlic  plowed  land.  There  it  will  be  held, 
like  water  in  a  well,  until  m)-  plants  are  ready  for  it. 
An}^  loss  of  moisture  is  almost  a  sin. 

"  Third,  to  keep  the  grains  of  soil  fine  and  close 
to  one  another.  If  the  grains  are  not  too  loose,  the 
spaces  between  them  will  act  like  tubes  to  lead  up 
moisture  from  below  the  surface  as  plants  are  ready 
for  it. 

"  Fourth,  to  soften  the  earth  so  that  plant  roots 
may  push  easily  into  the  earth  in  search  of  plant 
food  and  have  a  wide  feeding-area. 

"  Fifth,  to  open  the  soil  so  as  to  let  in  air  and 
w^ater.  This  weathering  will  add  to  the  supply  of 
plant  food  and  allow  the  land  to  be  benefited  by 
freezing  and  thawing. 

"  Sixth,  to  kill  the  weeds  so  that  their  seed  may 
not  produce  a  crop  to  cumber  the  ground  in  the 
spring." 

Since  plowing,  then,  is  important  in  so  many 
ways  to  the  tiller  of  land,  should  not  everyone  who 


^^^ 

■ 

j^^H 

I 

Fig.  129.    Om;  ok  tiik  Earliest  Forms  of  a  Plow 


Bnnnnnnnnnnna 
BnannnnnnDnn 

Fig.  130.   A  Tractor  Plow 
The  squares  show  the  number  of  acres  broken  in  one  day  by  this  plow 


1 66 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


expects  to  farm  learn  the  best  methods  of  plowing? 
In  England  and  Scotland  farmers  have  regular 
training  schools  to  teach  boys  how  to  handle  plows. 
Prizes  are  offered  yearly  to  young  plowmen  who  in 
plowing  contests  display  the  most  skill  and  judgment. 

In  some  of  the 
Western  states  of 
America  plowing 
contests  are  made 
the  main  events 
of  a  yearly  holi- 
day. Wliy  should 
you  not  persuade 
your  school  to  start 
such  a  contest  ? 

\Miat  is  to  be 
sought  in  plowing 
a  field?  No  plow- 
ing is  satisfactory 
unless: 

First,   the   fur- 
rows are  straight  and  of  uniform  depth  and  width. 
Second,  the  plow  sets  the  furrow  slice  on  edge  so 
that   the   soil    may  easily  weather.    If  the   slice   is 
turned  entirely  over,  weathering  is  not  so  easy. 

Third,  the  plow  leaves  no  land  unbroken  between 
the  furrows. 

Fourth,  the  plowing  thoroughly  covers  all  weeds, 
grass,  or  stubble. 


^ 

S 

^^ 

^.„, 

1  lP 

y'Tl^M 

Ii       -v.^ 

r   ;^ 

fc£^ 

^fe 

sssfi^oSr. 

^ 

^f?'-" 

^^Se^^^^lk 

M 

'■••;^¥a.^3^ 

ir'.Ci--- 

^^^^m 

Fig.  131.   A  Well-Plowed  Field 


THE  SECOND  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION         167 

Keeping  in  mind  these  facts  as  to  methods  of 
plowing,  you  must  next  decide  when  you  will  break 
the  land  for  corn.  Shall  you  do  this  breaking  in  the 
fall  and  early  winter  or  shall  you  wait  until  spring  ? 
Of  course,  if  the  land  to  be  seeded  in  corn  was  sown 
in  a  winter  legume,  you  would  be  forced  to  put  off 
the  breaking  until  spring.  However,  as  the  spreading 
roots  of  this  winter  crop  would  keep  the  land  open, 
would  the  legume  not  really  be  doing  your  fall 
plowing  ? 

In  all  other  cases,  unless  the  weather  is  too  severe 
or  too  wet  for  farm  work,  the  question  of  early  or 
late  plowing  must  be  decided.  It  sometimes  happens 
that  affairs  on  the  farm,  like  a  scarcity  of  labor  or 
the  gathering  of  other  crops,  make  it  impossible  to 
do  any  fall  or  early  winter  plowing ;  but  if  a  farmer 
can  control  his  time  and  his  plows,  are  there  any 
advantages  in  early  plowing  ?  The  applying  of  some 
truths  which  you  already  know  may  assist  you  in 
answering  this  question. 

If  in  the  fall  your  land  has  a  cover  of  vegetable 
matter  on  it,  are  you  willing  for  any  of  this  matter 
to  be  wasted  ?  Do  you  not  wish  that  every  ounce  of 
it  may  be  changed  into  humus  to  aid  in  nourishing 
the  corn  in  the  spring?  Would  not  the  rotting  of 
this  vegetable  matter  be  hastened  by  covering  it  in 
the  fall  ?  How  do  plants  feed  ?  You  recall,  do  you 
not,  that  all  plant  food  must  be  dissolved  in  water 
and  then  drawn  into  the  plant's  life  by  the  hairy 


1 68 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


roots?  Now,  if  the  vegetable  matter  on  the  soil  in 
the  fall  remains  im rotted  until  spring,  will  not  the 
water  and  the  root  hairs  have  a  hard  task?  Would 
their  work  not  be  made  easy  if  the  fall  covering  had 
chanored  all  the  matter  into  humus?  Hence,  for  the 
turning  of  all  vegetation  on  the  land  into  humus,  is 
not  fall  and  early  winter  plowing  a  wise  practice  ? 


Fig.  132.    Is  THIS  A  S A  I  isi  A(  loKv  Way  to  plow? 


Again,  you  know  how  necessary  it  is  to  plant 
growth  to  have  the  soil  fined  and  mellowed.  If  you 
plowed  before  very  cold  weather,  would  this  not 
leave  your  soil  in  a  proper  condition  to  be  crum- 
bled by  the  freezing  and  thawing  of  winter?  Would 
not  this  winter  weathering  be  useful  even  in  com- 
paratively warm  climates  ?  Therefore,  for  the  sake" 
of  using  nature's  power  instead  of  horse  power,  is 
not  fall  plowing  advisable? 


THE  SECOND  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION         169 

The  great  army  of  insects  that  attack  corn  must 
be  fought.  Will  not  plowing  your  land  early  in  the 
fall  help  to  break  up  their  winter  homes  ?  Will  it 
not  turn  many  of  them  out  of  comfortable  quarters 
to  be  destroyed  by  cold  ?  So,  if  you  want  to  lessen^ 


Fig.  133.    Saving  Moisture  by  a  Spring-tooth  Harrow 

the  injury  done  by  insects,  can  you  do  it  in  any 
easier  way  than  by  wrecking  their  winter  homes  by 
the  plow  ? 

Saving  moisture  is  one  of  the  surest  ways  of 
adding  bushels  to  your  corn  crop.  Does  fall  plowing 
save  moisture  ?  Have  you  not  noticed  that  the  top 
soil  of  ground  which  was  plowed  in  the  fall  or 
winter  is  drier  at  planting  time  than  the  top  soil 


170      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

of  land  not  so  plowed  ?  Did  not  the  fall  plowing 
so  open  and  loosen  the  soil  that  rain  could  sink 
down  deep  ?  Since  the  rain  went  deep  into  the  soil 
does  this  not  leave  the  surface  dry?  Will  not  this 
dry  soil  warm  up  early  in  the  spring?  What  aid 
will  this  warm  soil  be  to  the  sprouting  of  your  corn  ? 
What  to  its  vigorous  young  growth  ?  When  the  hot 
days  come,  will  the  moisture  far  below  the  surface 
be  drawn  to  the  top  ?  W^ill  not  this  be  the  very  time 
at  which  the  moisture  is  needed  ?  Therefore,  is  not  the 
saving  of  moisture  another  reason  for  fall  plowing  ? 

To  still  further  save  moisture  you  must  call  your 
harrow  into  service,  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  134.  Fine 
clay  soils,  especially  in  sections  of  heavy  rainfall, 
should  not  be  harrowed  in  the  fall  after  the  plowing. 
A  harrowing  would  make  them  run  together  and 
pack.  However,  fall-plowed  lands  should  always  be 
harrowed  early  in  the  spring.  Lands  which  are  not 
broken  until  the  spring  should  at  once  be  harrowed. 
The  dry  surface  mulch  left  by  the  harrow  is  nature  s 
way  of  saving  water. 

There  is  always  more  or  less  of  a  rush  in  the 
spring  to  get  the  seed  bed  ready  and  the  seed 
planted.  Cannot  a  farmer  spare  time  for  breaking 
his  land  in  the  fall  or  winter  better  than  he  can  in 
the  spring?  Is  this  not  an  excellent  reason  for  his 
getting  part  of  his  plowing  done  ahead  of  the  rush  ? 
Therefore,  lastly,  for  the  sake  of  saving  time  is  not 
fall  plowing  the  best  rule  ? 


THE  SECOND  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


171 


With  a  big  corn  crop  in  mind,  how  deep  should 
you  break  your  land  in  the  fall  ?  This  is  a  hard 
question  to  answer.  The  depth  of  plowing  should 
be  governed  by  the  kind  of  soil  and  its  condition 


Fig.  134.   A  Cutaway  Harrow 


and  by  the  climate.  There  are,  in  America,  many  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  soils  in  which  corn  is  planted.  There 
is  a  wide  range  of  climates  and  soil  conditions.  A 
depth  that  fits  the  needs  in  one  place  or  in  one  soil 
may  not  be  what  is  needed  in  other  circumstances. 
Learn  from  your  State  Experiment  Station  and  from 
the  most  successful  corn  growers  in  your  neighbor- 
hood what  is  the  best  depth  for  your  farm. 


172      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

The  following  general  suggestions  may  always  be 
kept  in  mind  : 

First,  open,  loose,  porous  soils,  such  as  sandy 
lands  and  lands  full  of  humus,  do  not  need  as  deep 
plowing  as  heavier  lands.  In  such  soils  a  depth  of 
six  or  seven  inches  is  probably  enough. 

Second,  the  ordinary  clays  and  loams  in  an 
average  condition  of  fertility  will  usually  yield  best 
when  they  have  been  broken  to  a  depth  of  eight  to 
ten  inches. 

Third,  thin  clay  and  thin  loamy  soils,  which  have 
never  been  broken  deeply,  should  be  gradually 
broken   to  a  depth  of  eight   to   ten   inches. 

Fourth,  on  all  but  very  loose  soils,  the  deeper  the 
plowing  within  reasonable  limits  the  wider  is  the  way 
opened  for  the  pasturage  of  your  corn  roots  and  the 
holding  of  moisture. 

Spring  plowing  should  never  be  as  deep  as  fall 
plowing.  Remembering  how  moisture  rises  in  soils, 
can  you  give  a  reason  for  this  rule?  In  spring  plow- 
ing there  are  four  things  that  should  always  be 
done  and  two  that  should  never  be  done.  These 
are  as  follows : 

First,  the  plowing  should  be  done  early  before 
the  hot  sun  and  the  wand  rob  the  land  of  its  moisture. 
As  soon  as  the  ground  will  crumble  readily,  start 
your  plows. 

Second,  the  plowing  should  be  done  in  ample 
time   to  warm   the  earth  for  the  corn   seed.    The 


THE  SECOND  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


173 


warm  seed  bed  will  favor  germination  of  the  kernels 
and  hasten  the  growth  of  the  young  corn. 

Third,  the  plowing  should  be  finished  a  week  or 
two  before  seeding  time  so  as  to  allow  the  loose 


Fig.  135.   A  Harrow  following  Deep  Plowing 


earth  to  settle.  As  soon  as  the  earth  settles,  the  soil 
tubes  will  form  and  bring  up  water  as  it  is  needed. 

Fourth,  the  plowing  should  always  be  done  in 
accordance  with  the  kind  of  land.  Loose  soils  may 
be  plowed  earlier  than  heavy  ones. 

The  two  things  that  should  never  be  done  are 
these : 


174      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

First,  the  ground  should  never  be  plowed  when  it 
is  too  wet.  Often  the  farmer  is  so  anxious  to  start 
his  crop  that  he  plows  before  the  ground  is  dry. 
The  clodding  of  the  land  from  being  plowed  when 
it  is  too  wet  will  often  injure  it  for  a  year  or  two. 

Second,  the  plowing  should,  on  the  other  hand, 
not  be  done  when  the  ground  is  too  dry. 

APPLYING  THE  LESSON 

1.  A  plowman  undertook  in  the  spring  to  prepare  a  city  lot  for 
corn.  Here  is  what  a  farmer  noticed :  first,  the  plowman  burned 
the  weeds  on  the  lot ;  second,  when  he  had  finished  plowing,  the 
furrow  slices  were  slick  and  uncrumbled ;  third,  he  left  the  soil 
untouched  some  time  after  he  plowed  it. 

Name  each  mistake  the  plowman  made. 

2.  A  young  farmer  making  his  first  crop  of  corn  on  a  rather 
heavy  clay  loam  soil  which  had  just  been  in  cotton  took  these  steps : 
first,  he  burned  the  cotton  stalks  in  February ;  second,  he  broke 
his  land  nine  inches  deep  on  March  1 5  ;  third,  he  disked  his  land 
on  April  15  ;  fourth,  he  planted  his  corn  on  April  16. 

Point  out  all  his  mistakes. 

POINTS  FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  How  is  deeply  plowed  land  like  a  well  ? 

2.  Why  is  the  power  of  water  to  dissolve  so  many  substances 
exceedingly  helpful  to  the  farmer  ? 

3.  Try  to  work  out  why  the  moldboard  of  all  plows  has  the 
same  general  shape. 

4.  Why  will  corn  growing  on  clay  or  other  close-grained  soils 
which  have  not  been  plowed  deeply  suffer  from  drought  in  a  dry 
season  and  from  too  much  water  in  a  wet  season  ? 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  THIRD   STEP  IN  CULTIVATION  — THE 
SEED  BED 

Suppose  that  just  as  a  healthy,  hungry  boy  seated 
himself  at  a  table  which  was  loaded  with  palatable 
food,  someone  were  to  tie  his  hands  and  then  say, 
"  Help  yourself  freely  to  every  dish  on  the  table." 
The  boy,  if  left  tied,  would  starve  in  a  house  of 
plenty.  You  would  think  this  a  cruel  way  to  treat 
the  boy. 

Yet  do  we  not  often  treat  plants  in  this  very  way  ? 
There  is  plant  food  in  most  lands  if  we  till  them 
deeply  and  pulverize  the  soil ;  but  instead  of  putting 
this  food  within  reach  we  prepare  a  cold,  rough, 
shallow  seed  bed.  In  such  a  bed  we  plant  our  corn 
and  practically  say,  "  Now  sprout  and  help  yourself 
to  all  the  plant  food  in  sight."  Are  not  the  roots  of 
the  plants  tied  by  the  shallow  feeding-bed  just  as 
the  boy's  hands  were  by  the  cord?  They  cannot 
reach  out  and  get  the  sorely  needed  food  stored  in 
the  hard  earth.  They  can  feed  and  grow  apace  only 
when  they  are  provided  with  a  deep,  warm,  moist, 
mellow  seed  bed. 

Is  not  the  plowman  shown  in  Fig.  136  preparing 
a  seed  bed  that  will  tie  the  roots  of  his  corn  and 

175 


176      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

starve  the  plants  ?  Can  one  lean  mule  furnish  power 
enough  to  break  a  seed  bed  for  corn?  Is  the  plow 
set  to  go  deep  in  the  ground  ?  Could  you  reasonably 
expect  plants  to  grow  among  the  clods  he  is  turning 
up?    Moisture  is  always  needed.    Could  you  depend 


Fig.  136.    Plowing  that  will  tie  the  Roots 

on  his  shallow  furrows  to  hold  moisture?  Would 
such  plowing  let  air  into  the  soil  to  any  depth?  Is 
not  the  plowman  stirring  only  soil  that  was  stirred 
the  year  before  ?  Will  this  add  any  fresh  pasturage 
for  the  roots?  Look  at  the  tiny  corn  roots  illus- 
trated in  Fig.  137.  They  are  so  tender  that  a  touch 
of  your  finger  will  break  them.  Yet  they  must  push 
their  way  down  into  the  soil  or  the  plant  will  starve. 


THE  THIRD  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


177 


Fig.  137.   Tiny  Corn  Roots 


Can   these   soft,   threadlike   roots  force   themselves 
into  hard  earth?    The  roots  of  thrifty  plants  must 

grope  about  and  find  food 
in  a  wide  feeding-ground. 
But  how  can  they  do  this 
unless  mellow  soil  opens 
for  them  ?  The  deeper  they 
can  go  into  the  soil  the 
more  moisture  they  can 
reach  and  send  up  to  the 
plant.  Can  they  find  mois- 
ture if  they  are  stopped  by 
hardpan  three  or  four  inches  below  the  surface? 
What  will  happen  to  the  plants  in  the  hot  summer 
days  if  these  roots  fail  in  their  search  for  lower 
moisture  when  the  top 
moisture  has  been  all 
used?  Then  take  a  look  at 
these  tender  roots  after 
they  have  grown  much 
older.  You  see  them  in 
Fig.  1 38  as  they  are  feed- 
ing the  almost  ripened 
stalk.  How  widely  and 
how  deeply  they  are  searching  for  food  to  build  up 
the  ear!  If  hard,  dry,  barren  ground  stops  this  search, 
what  must  become  of  the  ear?  Surely  the  seed  bed 
the  man  is  making  with  his  one-horse  plow  will  not 
make  a  favorable  feeding-ground  for  corn  roots. 


Fig.  1 38.  Roots  feeding  a  Stalk 


178      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

Now  turn  from  this  unpromising  start  in  making 
a  seed  bed  to  the  proper  start  shown  in  Fig.  139. 
Here  you  will  find  a  field  that  was  deeply  plowed 
in  the  fall.  Then,  in  Fig.  140,  the  spring  disking  is 
being  done  as  soon  as  the  land  is  fit.  The  disk 
harrow  is  going  about  three  inches  deep.    The  third 


Fig.  139.    Fall  Plowing 

picture  (Fig.  141)  shows  the  smoothing  harrow  at 
once  following  the  disk.  Then,  at  least  two  weeks 
after  the  harrowing,  the  rows  should  be  laid  off. 

What  sort  of  seed  bed  do  you  now  have  for  the 
tender,  wide-feeding  roots?  Did  not  the  deep  fall 
plowing  enable  the  field  to  hold  the  winter  rains 
and  thus  insure  moisture  for  the  corn  ?  Did  not  the 
plowing  also  permit  air  to  make  its  way  into  the  soil  ? 
Did  it  not  put  the  soil  in  condition  to  get  the  benefit 


THE  THIRD  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


179 


of  all  winter  frosting  and  freezing?  Will  not  the 
seed  bed  be  deep  and  soft  for  the  roots  to  find  easy 
traveling  in  their  search  for  food? 

What  do  you  gain  by  the  spring  disking?  Does 
it  not  further  pulverize  the  earth  ?  Does  it  not  cut 
up  and  hasten  the  changing  into  humus  of  any 
vegetable  matter 
which  may  have 
been  left  on  the 
land?  Does  it  not 
check  and  destroy 
the  hardy  weeds 
of  early  spring? 
Will  it  not  smooth 
and  level  the  soil? 
Will  not  the  set- 
tling of  the  land 
after  the  disking 

help  the  soil  tubes  in  getting  ready  for  their  very 
necessary  work  of  bringing  up  moisture  ? 

In  what  way  will  the  harrowing  on  the  heels  of 
the  disk  be  a  benefit?  In  the  spring  moisture  rises 
rapidly  from  prepared  land.  Can  you  spare  the 
moisture  ?  Will  not  the  harrowing  stop  any  mois- 
ture loss  by  the  top  mulch  of  dry  soil  which  it  forms  ? 
Will  it  not  also  add  to  the  complete  fining  of  the 
soil?  Will  it  not  also  assist  in  pressing  the  soil 
grains  together  so  as  to  make  easier  the  task  of  the 
soil  tubes?    Could  you  find  many  clods  after  these 


Fig.  140.    Sprixg  Disking 


I  So      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

three  cultivations  ?  Would  not  such  a  seed  bed  soon 
be  warmed  by  the  sun  and  thus  speed  the  perfect 
sprouting  of  your  grain  ?  In  case  a  heavy  rain  should 
fall  after  you  had  either  disked  or  harrowed,  would  it 
not  pay  to  run  the  harrow  over  the  land  again  ?  As 
an  ambitious  corn  grower — one  who  wishes  to  make 


Fui.  141.   Smoothing  Harrow  following  a  Disk 

a  crop  of  corn  in  which  he  may  find  a  just  reward 
for  his  labor  —  are  you  not  willing  to  prepare  such 
a  seed  bed  ? 

POINTS  FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  What  harm  results  from  clods  in  the  seed  bed  ? 

2.  What  does  a  corn  grower  gain  by  harrowing  his  land  after 
each  rain  ? 

3.  In  case  you  disk  your  land  with  a  horse  disk  and  not  a 
tractor,  should  the  harrow  which  follows  the  disk  run  in  the  same 
direction  that  the  disk  ran  or  in  an  opposite  direction  ? 


THE  THIRD  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION  i8l 

4.  Why  should  the  smoothing  harrow  follow  and  not  go  ahead 
of  the  disk  harrow  ? 

5.  A  thoughtful  farmer  always  wants  a  warm  seed  bed.  Would 
drainage  increase  the  warmth  ?  Would  cultivating  add  to  the 
warmth  ?  Would  the  addition  of  vegetable  matter  increase  the 
warmth  ? 

6.  Do  you  understand  what  is  meant  by  "  lapping  "  with  the 
disk  harrow  ?  Why  does  a  farmer  often  "  lap  "  when  it  is  slower 
than  not  "  lapping  ''  ? 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  FOURTH  STEP   IN  CULTIVATION  —  PLANTING 

Spring  brings  the  task  of  transferring  your 
selected  seed  from  its  protected  storehouse  to  the 
warm,  moist,  mellow  seed  bed.  Then  you  can  only 
wait  for  what  has  been  called  the  "  yearly  miracle 
of  spring  "  —  the  changing  of  the  cold,  hard  seeds 
into  living  plants.  Every  really  thoughtful  corn- 
grower  is  eager  to  know  how  he  and  nature  may 
work  hand  in  hand  to  produce  a  bounteous  crop. 

If  you  wish  to  work  with  nature  you  must  be 
ready  to  plant  as  soon  as  nature  warms  the  soil. 
You  no  doubt  recall  that  it  takes  air,  light,  moisture, 
and  warmth  to  germinate  seed.  Of  course,  the  soil 
has  air,  light,  and  moisture  all  during  the  winter,  but 
sufficient  warmth  to  sprout  corn  comes  only  with 
the  spring.  You  should,  therefore,  have  everything 
in  readiness  to  plant  your  seed  corn  as  soon  as  the 
necessary  heat  is  added  to  air,  light,  and  moisture. 
The  Indians,  who  always  watched  nature,  followed  this 
rule :  "  Plant  corn  when  the  leaves  of  the  white-oak 
tree  are  as  big  as  a  squirrel's  ear."  As  the  leaves 
of  the  white  oak  come  earlier  in  Southern  than  in 
Northern  sections,  was  not  this  just  their  way  of  say- 
ing, "  Plant  when  the  earth  gets  warm  "  ?  The  more 

182 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION        1S3 

often  the  grower  gets  his  corn  planted  as  soon  as 
his  seed  bed  is  warmed,  the  more  often  he  harvests 
a  heavy  yield. 

Heat  enough  for  planting  comes  early  in  Southern 
climates.  Thence,  as  the  warmth  of  spring  moves 
northward,  the  time  of  planting  goes  with  it.    The 


Fig.  142.    Single-Row  Planter 

time  for  seeding,  therefore,  cannot  be  fixed  by  the 
almanac,  but  must  depend  on  the  arrival  of  suffi- 
cient heat.  There  is  no  use  planting  corn  in  cold, 
damp  ground.  You  get  a  new  idea  of  how  widely 
corn  is  grown  in  America  by  remembering  the 
length  of  time  which  is  needed  for  this  spring 
warmth  to  move  across  the  corn-growing  sections. 
The  seed  beds  of  Texas,  the  southern  limit  of  our 
country,  are  warmed  three  months  before  those 
of    Minnesota,   which   state    is    on  the  line  of   our 


1 84 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


northern  boundary.  Beginning  in  Texas,  farmers 
start,  section  by  section,  thousands  upon  thousands 
of  corn  planters  to  dropping  their  seed,  and  yet 
three  months  must  pass  before  all  sections  have 
finished  the  immense  task.  While  this  is  true, 
however,  it  will  interest  you  to  know  about  what 
time  the  soil  is  usually  warm  enough  to  plant  in  the 
various  states.  The  following  table,  prepared  by 
Bishop,  shows  the  average  dates  of  planting  and 
of  harvesting  and  the  length  of  the  growing-season. 


RATE  OF  NORTHWARD  CORN-PLANTING  MOVEMENT 


Planting-Date 

H  akvestin(;-Date 

Gkhwinu 

-Pekiod 

Statu 

Beginning 

Ending 

Beginning 

Ending 

Days  from 
Beginningof 

Planting  to 
Beginning  of 

Har\e.sting 

Days  from 
Pending  of 
Planting  to 
-Average  of 
Har\esting 

Florida.     .    . 

Feb.  21 

Apr.  2 

Aug.  23 

Oct.  17 

183 

198 

Texas    . 

Feb.  27 

Apr.  4 

Sept.  6 

Nov.  18 

191 

22,S 

Louisiana 

Feb.  27 

Apr.  24 

Sept.  I 

Nov.  4 

186 

194 

Arkansas 

Mar.  18 

May  6 

Sept.  23 

Nov.  4 

189 

182 

Oklahoma 

Mar.  24 

Apr.  30 

Sept.  14 

Dec.  9 

174 

223 

Kansas  . 

Apr.  14 

May  18 

Oct.  II 

Dec.  16 

180 

212 

Missouri 

Apr.  14 

May  22 

Sept.  23 

Dec.  16 

162 

208 

Illinois  . 

Apr.  30 

June  2 

Sept.  26 

Dec.  ID 

149 

191 

Nebraska 

May  3 

May  29 

Sept.  23 

Dec.  19 

153 

204 

Iowa .    . 

May  4 

May  26 

Oct.  19 

Dec.  6 

163 

194 

S.  Dakota 

May  9 

June  I 

Oct.  12 

Nov.  29 

157 

171 

Wisconsin 

May  II 

May  28 

Sept.  9 

Sept.  28 

121 

1-3 

Minnesota 

May  13 

May  30 

Sept.  9 

Sept.  28 

119 

121 

N.  Dakota . 

May  14 

May  31 

Sept.  8 

Sept.  23 

117 

120 

Michigan  . 

May  15 

June  2 

Sept.  10 

Sept.  29 

118 

119 

Maine    .    . 

May  17 

June  6 

Sept.  12 

Sept.  30 

n8 

116 

THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION        185 

The  map  given  in  Fig.  143  groups  the  states  and 
their  dates  of  planting  in  the  largest  corn-growing 
sections. 

As  you  see  from  the  table  the  warm  states  have 
a  much  longer  period  in  which  to  plant  corn  than 
do  the  colder  states.  In  Alabama  corn  may  be 
seeded  for  about 
two  months,  while 
in  Wisconsin  or 
North  Dakota  if 
you  delay  plant- 
ing for  seven- 
teen days  after  the 
ground  is  warm 
enough  to  plant, 
your  corn  will 
most  probably  be 
killed  by  frost.  In 
*the  Cotton  Belt 
there  are  on  an 
average  about  fifty-three  days,  after  the  date  of  be- 
ginning, in  w4"iich  you  may  plant  without  fear  of 
losing  your  harvest.  In  the  winter-wheat  states,  like 
Kansas  and  Nebraska,  the  time  in  which  you  may 
plant  is  limited  to  about  thirty-three  days.  In  the 
spring- wheat  states,  like  the  Dakotas  and  Minne- 
sota, the  time  is  decreased  to  nineteen  days.  This 
length  of  planting-time  gives,  in  the  Southern  states, 
an  opportunity  to  plant  corn  after  the  winter  legumes 


Fig.  143.    Dates  for  Seeding 


1 86      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

and  other  crops,  like  rye  and  Irish  potatoes,  and 
consequently  a  farmer  may  plan  a  wider  rotation  of 
crops  than  he  can  in  colder  states. 

With  the  time  of  planting  fixed  by  nature  there 
comes  the  thought  of  the  best  method  of  planting. 


Fig.  144.    Double-Row  Planter 

Will  nature's  laws  guide  you  in  deciding  how  to 
plant?  If  you  are  to  plant  in  a  section  where 
there  is  too  much  moisture  and  no  way  to  drain  it 
off,  should  not  your  manner  of  planting  be  deter- 
mined by  this  fact  ?  On  the  other  hand,  if  you 
are  to  use  for  your  corn  a  well-drained  soil  lying  in 
a  region  of  average  rainfall,  should  you  not  plan  to 
plant  in  accord  with  these  conditions  ?  Lastly,  if  you 
are   to  seed  your  corn  either  in  coarse  sandy  or 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION        187 

gravelly  soil  in  which  water  sinks  rapidly,  or  In  a 
region  of  small  rainfall,  would  you  not  keep  these 
conditions  in  mind? 

Let  us  think  how  we  may  work  with  nature  in 
the  three  cases  which  we  have  just  been  considering. 


Fig.  145.    Raised  Seed  Beds  for  Wet  Lands 

First,  take  thought  to  the  wet  lands.  In  the  South, 
especially,  there  are  large  bodies  of  low-lying  wet 
lands.  These  lands  are  so  level  as  to  forbid  natural 
drainage.  How  can  you  raise  corn  in  such  lands? 
Evidently,  since  you  cannot  drain  off  the  water, 
you  w^ill  have  to  raise  your  seed  beds  and  let  the 
extra  water  sink  below  the  corn  roots.  Water  in  a 
corn  row,  as  well  as  everywhere  else,  will  seek  the 
lowest  level  within  its  reach.  If  you  raise  rounded 
seed  beds  and  plant  your  corn  on  the  top  of  these 


1 88      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

ridged  beds,  will  you  not  leave  a  low  furrow  be- 
tween each  of  these  long  beds  ?  Will  not  the  extra 
soil  moisture  in  the  bed  drain  down  into  these  fur- 
rows and  leave  the  roots  a  fairly  dry  seed  bed? 
In  case  of  heavy  rains  will  not  these  water  furrows, 
as  they  are  called,  carry  off  the  rain  before  it  can 
drown  the  young  plants  ?  Will  not  the  rounded, 
raised  bed  furnish  a  larger  surface  to  take  in  the 
sun's  heat  than  a  flat  surface  would? 

Hence,  when  nature  supplies  too  much  water, 
ridge  the  land,  and  thus  get  nature  to  help  in 
draining  it,  and  you  can  raise  a  good  crop. 

Are  there  any  reasons  why  this  ridged  method 
should  not  be  used  for  other  than  wet  lands  ?  There 
are  several.  In  drained  lands,  which  get  just  about 
sufficient  moisture  to  raise  a  crop,  would  not  this 
method  waste  water?  If,  in  this  case,  water  drained 
away  from  the  roots  into  the  water  furrow,  would 
not  the  plants  be  badly  injured  in  dry  weather? 
Can  you  run  a  harrow  or  cultivator  over  such 
bedded  rows  as  conveniently  as  you  can  on  smooth 
lands  ?  If  you  cannot,  will  you  not  be  forced  to  use 
the  hoe  to  remove  weeds  in  the  row?  Would  this 
not  take  more  labor  and  add  to  the  expense  ? 

Second,  in  case  you  have  well-drained,  finely 
grained  land  and  a  sufficient  yearly  rainfall,  what 
method  of  planting  is  best  suited  to  your  soil? 
With  this  sort  of  soil  and  with  this  amount  of 
moisture  will  you  have  to  make  raised  beds  in  order 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION        189 

to  drain  water  away  from  your  plant  roots  ?  Will  you, 
on  the  other  hand,  have  to  plant  deep  under  the 
surface  in  order  that  the  plant  roots  may  find  mois- 
ture? Since  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  farm  on 
land  with  neither  too  much  nor  too  little  moisture, 
will  not  your  natural  plan  be  to  seed  the  land  just 
as  it  was  left  by  the  last  harrowing?  This  method 
of  planting  is  called  surface  planting,  or  flat  plant- 
ing. Would  not  ridging  such  a  soil  lead  to  drawing 
moisture  from  the  roots  ?  Would  not  planting  such 
land  very  deeply  perhaps  lead  to  poor  sprouting  and 
certainly  be  needless  trouble  ? 

In  surface  planting  two  methods  are  common : 
one  of  these  is  the  check-row  method,  the  other  the 
drill-row  method. 

In  the  check-row  system  the  land  is  laid  off  in 
straight  rows  crossing  the  field  in  opposite  direc- 
tions.. Such  a  field  is  shown  in  Fig.  146.  The  ker- 
nels are  planted  only  at  the  points  where  the  rows 
cross.  Usually  from  two  to  three  seed  kernels  are 
dropped  at  each  of  the  crossing  points,  or  hills.  What 
are  the  special  merits  of  this  widely  used  method  of 
planting?  With  this  method  of  checks  could  you 
not  run  your  tillage  tools  in  the  same  direction  in 
which  your  planter  dropped  the  seed,  and  then  run 
them  across  the  field  in  an  opposite  direction?  Would 
this  not  enable  you  to  cultivate  on  all  sides  of  your 
plants  without  hoeing?  Would  this  not  lessen  the 
cost  of  production  ? 


I90 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Could  this  method  be  used  on  all  kinds  of  land  ? 
Could  you  use  it  without  too  great  cost  on  small, 
irregular  fields  ?  Could  you  use  it  on  terraced  lands? 
Could  you  lay  off  hilly  or  sloping  lands  in  checks? 
If  you  did,  would  there  not  be  danger  of  washing? 


Fig.  146.    A  Check-Rowed  Field 


Is  it  not  probable  that  one  plant  standing  alone  in 
a  furrow  twelve  inches  from  another  plant  can  find 
food  and  moisture  more  easily  than  three  plants 
standing  in  one  hill  three  feet  from  other  hills? 

In  the  drill-row  method  the  seed  is  planted  in 
straight  rows  without  checking.  The  planter  usually 
drops  one  kernel  to  a  hill,  and  the  hills  are  much 
closer  to  one  another  than  in  the  check-row  method. 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


191 


What  are  the  advantages  of  this  system  ?  Can 
you  not  use  this  method  on  either  flat  or  hilly  land  ? 
Can  you  not  run  your  rows  around  the  hills  and 
thus  save  washing?  Can  you  not,  in  like  manner, 
run  your  rows  with  your  terraces  on  broken  land? 
Does  not  this  drill- 
row  plan  provide 
more  space  for 
each  stalk  and  pre- 
vent root  crowd- 
ing? Will  not  a 
plant  standing  en- 
tirely alone  find  a 
greater  pasturage 
of  moisture  and 
plant  food  than 
threeplants  stand- 
ing in  a  hill  ?  On 
the  other  hand, 
will  it  not  be  harder 

to  keep  down  weeds  and  grass  with  tillage  tools  by 
this  method,  since  you  can  run  them  only  one  way? 
Hence,  for  flat  lands  will  the  check- row  plan  not  be 
cheaper  than  the  drill-row  method  ? 

Third,  where  land  is  so  gravelly  or  so  sandy  that 
water  sinks  rapidly  into  the  soil,  or  in  dry  regions, 
what  is  the  best  method  of  planting?  In  these 
cases  do  you  not  need  to  work  with  nature  and  plant 
your  corn  where  it  can  most  easily  reach  moisture  ? 


Fig.  147.  Flat  Preparation  for  Planting 


192      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

Will  you  not  have  to  plant  deeper  than  you  do  in 
surface  planting?  The  method  by  which  this  is  done 
is  known  as  listing.  In  those  parts  of  the  South  and 
Southwest  in  which  very  light  soils  are  found,  and 
in  all  the  limited-rainfall  area  west  of  the  main  Corn 
Belt,  this  method  is  in  very  general  use.    Where  the 


Fig.  148.    Simple  Lister,  or  "Middle  Buster" 

land  is  loose  and  friable  and  where  there  is  not  much 
vegetable  matter  in  the  soil,  listing  is  the  cheapest 
method  of  planting,  for  such  land  can  be  listed  and 
planted  without  any  other  preparation.  If,  however, 
the  land  is  at  all  stiff  or  if  there  are  many  weeds 
and  much  grass  on  the  surface,  the  land  should  be 
disked  or  harrowed  some  days  before  it  is  listed. 

Listing  is  mainly  done  in  three  ways :  First,  by  a 
simple  lister,  or  "  middle  buster,"  as  it  is  often  called. 
The  simple  lister  is  shown  in  Fig.  148.    As  you  see. 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION        193 

it  is  merely  a  plow  with  a  double  moldboard.  One 
moldboard  throws  the  earth  to  the  right  in  a  low 
ridge;  the  other  throws  the  soil  to  the  left  in  the 
same  manner.  A  planter  follows  in  the  furrow  made 
by  the  lister  and  drops  and  covers  the  kernels.  The 
depth  secured  in  this  way  enables  the  kernels  to 
obtain  the  needed  moisture.  When  corn  is  listed  only 
about  one  third  of  the  land  is  touched  by  the  two  tools. 


Fig.  149.   Lister  with  Additions 


Second,  by  a  lister  with  several  additions  to  it. 
These  additions  are  clearly  pictured  in  Fig.  149. 
The  first  is  a  subsoil  stirrer,  which  is  fastened  just 
behind  the  lister  and  runs  in  the  same  furrow.  This 
loosens  the  bottom  of  the  furrow  and  makes  it  the 
seed  bed.  The  seed  dropper  is  attached  behind  the 
subsoiler,  and  back  of  the  dropper  are  the  coverers. 
With  this  instrument  one  man  with  three  heavy 
horses  can  plant  seven  acres  a  day. 

Third,  by  a  combined  planter  and  lister,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  150.  This  is  often  called  the  furrow-opener 
method.    The  furrow  opener  is  in  front ;  then  follow 


194      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

the  teeth  to  loosen  the  soil  and  then  the  dropper  and 
coverer.  This  method  should  be  used  only  on  well- 
prepared  land. 

What  are  the  merits  of  listing  ?   As  this  method, 
except  in  the  last  case,  saves  one  or  more  workings 


■•1 

«- 

Ji^^^^^^i 

f^fly^  /^.  ^^^^^s 

1 

F" 

^VHHH|BB[Hh||pia=^^^ 

Fig.  150.    Combined  Lister  and  Planter 

of  the  soil,  will  it  not  be  the  cheapest  plan  ?  As  the 
kernels  are  planted  so  deep  that  the  corn  roots  can 
reach  what  moisture  there  is  in  the  soil,  should  not 
corn  so  planted  stand  dry  weather  well  ?  Would  not 
the  plants  mature  on  less  water  than  they  would  in 
the  other  ways  ?  Would  not  the  corn  planted  so  deep 
in  the  soil  grow  slowly  in  the  spring  ?  W^ould  not 
the  slow  growth  cause  a  less  vigorous  growth  of 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


195 


iSMSilmSBOmisL. 


blades  and  stalks?  As  the  blades  and  stalks  con- 
sume much  moisture,  would  not  this  slow  growth 
save  moisture  ?  As  the  lister  throws  earth  away  from 
the  roots,  would  it  not  throw  the  weed  seeds  in  the 
earth  away  from  the  hills?  Could  the  weeds,  after  they 
have  sprouted  in  the  middle  of  the  rows,  be  killed 
there  more  easily 
than  around  the 
new  plants? 

There  are,  how- 
ever, several  ob- 
jections to  the 
listing  methods. 
Would  this  deep 
planting  in  cold 
soil  make  germi- 
nation more  diflB- 
cult  ?  In  case  of 
very  hard  rains,  would  there  not  be  danger  of 
drowning  the  low-set  plants  and  of  washing  the 
seed  furrow  very  badly? 

In  all  of  the  methods  of  planting  corn  the  actual 
dropping  of  the  seed  kernels  may  be  done  in  several 
ways.  If  only  a  small  field,  say  eight  or  ten  acres,  is 
to  be  planted,  hand  dropping,  as  shown  in  Fig.  151, 
or  a  hand  machine  similar  to  the  one  in  Fig.  152,  is 
the  cheapest  plan.  For  large  areas  a  one-row  or  a 
double-row  planter  is,  of  course,  much  cheaper  than 
hand  dropping.    As  already  seen,  the  listers  have 


Fig.  151.   Planting  by  Hand 


196 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


droppers  attached.  For  planting  In  checks  the  check- 
row planter,  shown  in  Fig.  153,  is  widely  used.  Before 
using  any  of  these  implements  the  kernels  should 
be  graded  for  uniform  size  and  the  planter  carefully 
set.  To  secure  kernels  of  about  the  same  size  would 
you  not  exclude  the  irregular  kernels  on  the  tips 

and  butts  of  the  ears? 
To  keep  from  injuring 
the  kernels  by  passing 
them  through  a  sheller 
should  you  not  shell  your 
seed  ears  by  hand,  or  use 
such  a  device  as  is  illus- 
trated in  Fig.  154?  I  snot 
thinning  out  the  extra 
stalks  a  costly  custom.? 
Will  it  not,  therefore, 
save  time  and  money  to 
drop  only  as  many  kernels  as  you  want  stalks .f*  Can 
you  not  count  on  the  germination  of  good  seed.'* 

Before  you  set  your  planter  you  will  of  course 
have  to  determine  three  things:  first,  how  wide 
apart  to  lay  off  your  rows ;  second,  how  far  from 
one  another  to  make  your  hills  in  the  rows;  third, 
how  many  kernels  to  plant  in  each  hill. 

The  experience  of  thoughtful  growers  is  that,  as 
a  rule,  the  rows  should  be  from  three  and  a  half  to 
four  feet  apart.  The  distance,  as  we  shall  presently 
learn,  should  be  less  for  rich  lands  than  for  poor  lands. 


Fig.  152.    A  Hand  Planter 


Fig.  153.    Check-Row  Planter 


Fig.  154.   A  Device  to  remove  Kernels  from  Butts  and  Tips 


198      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

The  distance  of  the  stalks,  or  hills  of  stalks,  from 
one  another  cannot  be  so  readily  fixed.  Of  course, 
well-tilled  plants  will  thrive  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  of  plant  food  and  moisture  in  the  soil.  If 
there  is  not  much  plant  food  or  moisture  for  your 
plants,  can  you  expect  to  grow  a  large  number  of 
heavily  eared  stalks  ?  Would  not  the  food  and 
moisture  have  to  be  divided  among  all  the  stalks? 
If  you  lessened  the  number  of  stalks,  would  not 
each  stalk  get  more  nourishment?  Would  not  this 
smaller  number  of  well-nourished  stalks  yield  more 
well-filled  ears  than  a  larger  number  of  badly  nour- 
ished stalks?  If  you  increased  the  number  of  stalks 
on  poor  land,  would  you  not  expect  that  the  further 
division  of  food  and  moisture  would  force  the  stalks 
to  bear  a  very  abundant  crop  of  nubbins? 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  soil  has  a  sufficiency  of 
food  and  moisture  to  support  a  large  number  of 
stalks,  should  you  not  be  sure  to  plant  them  ?  Again, 
some  varieties  of  corn  have  larger  stalks  than  others. 
The  large  stalks  require  more  food  and  moisture  for 
proper  fruitage  than  do  the  smaller  stalks.  Could 
you  not,  therefore,  plant  more  stalks  of  a  small 
variety  on  an  acre  than  you  could  of  a  large  variety  ? 
Do  you  not  then  see  that  the  thickness  of  your  plant- 
ing must  be  governed  by  the  fertility  of  the  land,  by 
the  amount  of  moisture,  and  by  the  variety  seeded? 

In  the  check- row  method,  kernels  are  dropped 
only  where  the  rows  cross.    At  what  distance  shall 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


199 


these  check  rows  cross?  Must  not  the  rows  be  wide 
enough  apart  for  a  horse  and  a  cultivator  to  pass 
each  way  ?  Could  the  rows,  then,  no  matter  how  rich 
the  land,  be  less  than  three  feet  apart  ?  If  the  land 
be  very  poor,  would  even  five  feet  be  too  wide  ?   The 


Fig.  155.    Rich  Land  may  be  thickly  planted 


general  opinion  of  the  users  of  this  method  is  that 
a  distance  of  from  three  and  a  half  to  four  feet  is 
most  satisfactory. 

How  many  kernels  should  be  dropped  in  each 
hill  ?  Do  not  forget  the  guiding  rule,  "  The  richer 
the  land  the  thicker  the  seeding;  the  poorer  the 
land  the  thinner  the  seeding."  In  the  great  Corn 
Belt  three  kernels  to  the  hill  seems  best  for  fertile 


200      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

land.  If  the  land  is  unusually  rich,  four  may  be 
planted.  In  the  South,  since  the  corn  grows  con- 
siderably larger  than  in  the  main  Corn  Belt,  only 
two  kernels  should  be  seeded  to  each  check.  In  the 
North,  where  flint  corns  are  grown,  the  small  stalks 
and  ears  of  that  type  enable  you  to  plant  four  or  five 
kernels  to  the  hill. 

In  the  raised-bed  method,  in  the  drill-row  method, 
or  in  the  listing  method  of  planting,  a  distance  be- 
tween the  rows  of  three  feet  for  rich  land  and  of 
three  and  a  half  to  four  feet  for  average  land  is  the 
usual  rule.  In  these  methods,  of  course,  the  kernels 
are  not  dropped  in  checked  hills.  They  are  dropped 
singly  in  the  row,  or  they  are  planted  by  twos,  by 
threes,  or  by  fours.  In  regions  of  sufficient  moisture 
the  highest  yields  on  equally  fertile  lands  seem  to  be 
obtained  when  the  stalks  stand  singly  and  at  a  dis- 
tance from  one  another  of  from  twelve  to  fourteen 
inches.  In  the  dry  regions  the  plants  should  stand 
singly,  but  the  distance  apart  should  be  increased. 
The  stalks  should  stand  at  least  eighteen  inches 
apart  in  comparatively  dry  land  and  about  thirty-six 
inches  in  very  dry  and  poor  land. 

The  problem  of  spacing  having  been  settled,  you 
have  next  to  consider  the  depth  of  planting.  Are 
not  light  and  air  generally  present  in  the  soil  ?  Will 
not  warmth  and  the  proper  amount  of  moisture, 
therefore,  be  the  two  things  to  think  of  in  planting  ? 
What  will  happen  to  the  seed  if  there  is  too  much 


THE  FOURTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION       20 1 

moisture  ?  What  if  there  is  too  httle  ?  What  if  there 
is  no  warmth?  In  the  early  spring  is  the  earth 
warm  to  any  great  depth  ?  Would  it  not  be  foolish 
to  plant  deeper  than  the  earth  is  warmed  ?  Hence, 
would  you  not  avoid  deep  planting  at  that  time  ?  As 
spring  advances  can  you  plant  deeper?    Since  corn 


1W^^ 

^^1 

/  /^>%-^^^^HS 

W" 

Fig.  156.    Wide  Rows  suit  Poor  Land 

roots  are  near  the  surface,  will  you  ever  need  to  plant 
very  deep  ?  If  the  earth  is  warm  and  dry  would  you 
plant  deeper  than  if  the  earth  were  warm  and  moist? 
In  planting  will  you  not  also  have  to  think  how 
different  soils  hold  water?  You  know  how  moisture 
sinks  in  sandy  soils.  To  secure  moisture  for  your 
seeds  in  such  land  would  you  plant  deep  or  shallow? 
On  stiff  clay  land  what  would  be  the  danger  in  deep 
planting?  As  a  rule,  farmers  jDlant  their  corn  too  deej^. 
From  one  to  two  inches  is  generally  deep  enough. 


202  CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

APPLYING  THE  LESSON 

1.  A  corn-grower  from  Louisiana  moved  to  the  drained  lands 
of  Illinois.  According  to  his  custom  he  raised  his  rows  for  corn. 
What  difference  in  conditions  did  he  forget  ? 

2.  A  boy  who  was  reared  in  Eastern  Kansas  went  to  farming 
in  Western  Kansas.  As  the  untidy  looks  of  fields  planted  by  the 
lister  method  displeased  him,  he  planted  with  a  check-rower.  Would 
you  expect  his  corn  to  bear  heavily  .-• 

3.  "  I  always  begin  to  plant  corn  on  the  12th  of  March,"  said 
a  farmer.    Is  this  a  wise  rule .'' 

4.  A  poor  thinker  had  two  fields  to  plant.  One  was  very  sandy, 
the  other  a  heavy  loam.  The  man  did  not  want  to  change  his 
planter,  so  he  planted  both  fields  one  inch  deep.  On  which  would 
he  be  most  likely  to  get  the  better  stand  ? 

5.  A  man,  growing  impatient  over  a  late  spring,  plowed  early, 
planted  early,  planted  deep.  What  would  you  expect  to  find  on 
visiting  his  farm  in  May  ? 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Does  ever}^  cornstalk  require  the  same  amount  of  water  ? 
If  not,  state  the  conditions  under  which  it  will  need  more  or  less 
rain.  Would  a  two-inch  rain  in  Florida,  in  July,  do  a  cornfield  more 
good  than  a  one-inch  rainfall  in  central  Illinois  at  the  same  time  ? 

2.  Should  silage  corn  ever  be  planted  in  checks  ? 

3.  Why  would  the  check-row  method  of  planting  corn  not  suit 
the  Appalachian  section  ?  Why  would  the  lister  method  be  unwise 
in  most  of  Tennessee  ? 

4.  In  what  way  does  a  very  heavy  rain  sometimes  keep  corn 
from  germinating  ?  On  what  sort  of  soil  would  this  be  most  likely 
to  happen  ?  Can  you  think  of  many  more  important  things  in 
fanning  than  the  proper  control  of  moisture  ? 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  FIFTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION  — TENDING 
THE  CROP 

After  corn  seed  is  planted  is  there  any  need  of 
cultivation  before  the  tiny  shoots  push  their  way 


Fig.  157.   A  Weeder 

out  of  the  soil?  Often  in  a  newly  planted  field 
weeds  spring  up  ahead  of  the  corn.  If  these  weeds 
are  allowed  to  grow,  will  they  not  be  harder  to  kill 

203 


204 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


later  on  ?  Will  not  these  weeds  also  use  much  plant 
food  ?  Can  the  corn  spare  the  moisture  which  the 
weeds  are  drawing  from  the  soil?  Will  they  not 
decrease  the  yield  of  corn  by  whatever  amount  of 
plant  food  and  moisture  they  steal?  Should  they 
not  be  killed  at  once? 

Can  you  kill  these  young  weeds  without  injury  to 
the  sprouting  corn?  On  light  and  level  lands  this 
can  easily  be  done  by  running  a  weeder,  similar  to 

the  one  illustrated 
in  Fig.  157,  across 
the  rows.  On  un- 
even and  heavy 
lands  it  will  be  bet- 
ter to  use  a  spike- 
tooth  harrow  like 


Fig.  158.   A  Spike-Tooth  Harrow 


the  one  in  Fig.  158.  The  teeth  of  the  harrow  should 
be  set  to  slant  backwards  so  as  not  to  drag  the 
young  corn  sprouts  out  of  the  seed  bed.  If  either 
of  these  is  run  across  the  rows,  it  will  destroy  the 
weeds  without  harming  the  corn.  If  it  is  preferred, 
a  cultivator  may  be  used  to  kill  the  weeds.  This 
implement,  if  used,  should  be  run  with  the  rows 
and  not  across  them.  If  the  crop  is  full  of  weeds, 
the  cultural  implements  may  be  used  several  times. 
However,  just  as  the  corn  is  shooting  out  of  the 
ground  and  is  very  tender,  cultivation  with  the 
weeder  or  harrow  should  stop  for  a  while.  It  can 
then  be  started  again  and  kept  up  until  the  corn  is 


THE  FIFTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION  205 

three  or  four  inches  tall.  These  early  cultivations 
will  not  only  destroy  weeds  but  they  will  keep  the 
ground  from  packing  and  thus  save  moisture  and 
will  also  give  the  plants  a  vigorous  start.  If  corn- 
stalks or  rubbish  have  been  turned  under  and  remain 
unrotted  in  the  seed  beds,  neither  a  weeder  nor  a 


Fig.  159.    A  Lister  Cultivator 

harrow  can  be  used.  From  the  time  the  corn  appears 
above  the  ground  its  growth  should  never  be  checked. 
On  listed  land  an  implement  known  as  the  lister 
cultivator  is  coming  into  favor.  It  takes  the  place 
of  the  weeder  or  harrow  in  the  earlier  cultivations 
of  corn  planted  by  this  method.  Such  a  cultivator 
is  shown  in  Fig.  159.  On  many  farms  this  cultivator 
is  not  used  until  the  lister  ridges  are  somewhat 
leveled  by  one  harrowing.  At  the  first  working  of 
the  corn  by  this  tool  the  disks  are  set  to  throw  the 
earth  away  from  the  corn.    Fenders  are  provided  to 


2o6 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


keep  the  dirt  from  covering  the  plants.  The  earth, 
on  striking  these  fenders,  crumbles  and  sifts  around 
the  plants  without  bruising  or  burying  them.  At 
the  second  cultivation  the  disks  are  set  wider  apart 
and  throw  the  earth  toward  the  plants.  Two  culti- 
vations usually  put  the  soil  in  good  condition  and 
leave  it  level  for  the  regular  cultivators. 

As  soon  as  the 
plants  are  from 
three  to  five  inches 
high  you  should 
start  your  cultiva- 
tors. There  are 
many  kinds  of  cul- 
tivators, varying 
Fig.  160.  CrLTivATOR  with  two  Shovels      in  style  from  the 

one- row  walking 
cultivator  with  two  shovels,  shown  in  Fig.  160,  to  the 
large  two-row  riding  cultivator,  similar  to  the  one 
in  Fig.  161.  The  number  of  shovels  attached  to 
the  cultivator  varies  from  two  to  eight.  The  size 
of  the  shovels  is  usually  smaller  as  the  number 
grows  larger.  In  some  (see  Fig.  162)  disks  take  the 
place  of  shovels.  In  others,  especially  those  made 
for  later  and  shallow  cultivation,  long  blades  are 
used  instead  of  shovels  or  disks.  Still  others  have 
spring-tooth  attachments. 

What  shall  govern  you  in  a  choice  of  cultivators  ? 
In  case  your  land  is  sloping  or  very  uneven,  can  you 


Fig.  i6i.   Two-Row  Cultivator 


Fig.  162.   A  Disk  Cultivator 


2o8 


CORxX  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


use  a  two-row  cultivator  conveniently?  In  case 
your  land  is  rather  hard  and  packs  easily,  could  you 
readily  use  small  shovels?  If  weeds  are  tall  and 
coarse,  will  you  not  have  to  select  a  cultivator  with 
large  shovels?   When  your  land  is  in  poor  condition 


Fig.  163.    Ci'LTivATOR  with  Small  Shovels 


and  needs  fining,  would  not  a  disk  cultivator  be 
most  successful?  On  stony  land  what  would  be 
gained  by  having  a  spring-tooth  cultivator?  In 
mellow  lands,  either  sandy  or  full  of  humus,  would 
not  small  shovels  be  most  useful  ?  On  level  lands 
would  not  a  two-row  cultivator  save  much  time  ? 
Considering  these  changing  conditions,  shall  you  not 
select  a  cultivator  to  meet  the  needs  of  your  farm  ? 


THE  FIFTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


209 


Whatever  kind  of  cultivator  you  select  should 
be  put  to  work  when  the  corn  is  from  three  to  five 
inches  tall.  Unless  you  allow  weeds  to  grow  too 
long,  no  other  cultivating  tool  should  be  necessary. 
However,  after  your  corn  grows  tall,  will  not 
a  single-row  cultivator,  like  the  one  in  Fig.  164, 
have  to  take  the  place  of  the  two-row  cultivator  .f* 


.'^tt  ;j  ^ 


Fig.  164.   A  Single-Row  Cultivator 

How  deep  in  the  soil  must  your  cultivator  run  ?  Let 
us  again  turn  to  nature  for  an  answer.  Look  at  the 
roots  of  the  corn  plant  shown  in  Fig.  165.  This  plant 
is  only  twenty-one  days  old.  Then  examine  the  root 
system  of  the  ninety-day-old  plant  in  Fig.  166.  Will 
not  the  size  and  fullness  of  the  ear  depend  on  the 
amount  of  moisture  and  food  the  plant  gets  from 
these  roots .''  If  your  cultivator  goes  deep  enough  to 
bruise,  tear,  or  break  these  roots,  can  they  properly 
nourish  the  stalk  ?    Will  shallow  or  deep  cultivation 


2IO 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


disturb  these  roots  least?  Is  it  not  clear  that  your 
cultivating  tools  should  not  go  crashing  through 
these  tender  feeders  of  the  plant  ?  As  the  roots 
spread  more  and  more  with  age  should  not  your  cul- 
tivations be  less  and  less  deep  ?    Would  it  not  be  well 

to  set  the  blades 
next  to  the  corn 
more  shallow  than 
those  working  in 
the  middle  of  the 
rows?  Could  the 
first  cultivation  be 
deeper  than  any 
of  the  others  with- 
out injury  to  the 
plant  ?  For  the 
last  one  or  two  cul- 
tivations, after  the 
corn  is  well  grown,  would  it  not  be  wise  to  take 
the  shovels  off  the  cultivator  and  put  on  scrapers? 
Could  such  scrapers  be  used  for  every  cultivation 
except  the  first  one? 

Many  farmers  cultivate  too  deeply.  Is  there  any 
good  reason  for  this  practice?  To  answer  this  im- 
portant question  we  shall  have  to  ask  another; 
namely,  What  are  the  reasons  for  cultivating  corn 
at  all  ?  It  now  seems  that  the  two  main  reasons  for 
working  the  soil  around  corn  plants  are  as  follows: 
first,  to  kill  the  weeds  that  seek  to  divide  moisture 


Fig.  165.    Root  System  after  Twextv- 
One  Days'  Growth 


THE  FIFTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION 


211 


and  plant  food  with  the  corn ;    second,  to  save  all 
possible  moisture  for  the  ever  thirsty  corn  plants. 

Do  either  of  these  reasons  demand  deep  cultiva- 
tion? Evidently,  unless  you  allow  the  weeds  too 
much  start,  you  can  kill  them  with  a  shallow-running 
tool.  The  only  way  to 
save  moisture  in  the 
spring  and  summer  is 
to  keep  a  dry  mulch 
on  the  top  of  the  soil. 
You  can  always  do 
this  with  a  shallow  tool. 
Therefore,  is  there  any 
reason  for  injuring  the 
corn  roots  by  useless 
deep  cultivation?  After 
the  first  cultivation  the 
depth  should  decrease 
regularly  from  two  or 
three  inches  to  about 
one  and  a  half  inches  for 
the  later  cultivations. 

Many  experiments  have  been  made  in  different 
states  to  decide  how  often  corn  should  be  culti- 
vated. Fields  of  corn  have  been  cultivated  from 
one  to  fourteen  times  to  find  out  what  number  of 
cultivations  brings  about  the  largest  yield.  Will 
a  study  of  nature's  ways  help  to  decide  this  vexed 
question  ? 


Fig.  1 66.    Root  System  after 
Ninety  Days'  Growth 


212      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

You  have  noticed  how  clay  lands  and  other  stiff 
lands  pack  after  a  hard  rain  and  form  a  crust  on 
top  of  the  soil.  As  soon  as  land  packs  in  this  way, 
do  not  the  soil  tubes  which  carry  moisture  to  the 
surface  form  roads  through  which  moisture  escapes 
into  the  air?  Can  you  afford  to  allow  this  moisture 
to  be  lost  to  your  corn  ?  What  effect  would  running 
the  cultivator  have  in  preventing  this  loss  ?  Would 
the  cultivator  not  break  up  the  soil  tubes?  Would 
not  the  mulch  formed  by  the  cultivator  keep  the 
moisture  where  the  roots  need  it?  Shall  we  not, 
then,  make  it  a  rule  to  cultivate  such  lands  after 
every  hard  rain  ?  Would  loose,  mellow  soils  pack 
in  the  same  way  ?  To  save  moisture  will  these  loose 
soils  need  to  be  cultivated  as  often  as  the  stiff  soils? 

Again,  if  lands  pack  and  form  a  hard  crust,  what 
will  happen  when  sorely  needed  showers  fall  ?  Will 
the  water  be  able  to  sink  down  to  the  plant  roots  or 
will  it  run  off  almost  as  it  would  from  a  floor?  If 
the  land  were  loosened  by  a  cultivator  would  the 
rain  be  thus  lost?  Then  must  we  not  cultivate 
often  enough  to  keep  the  soil  from  so  packing  that 
the  rain  will  be  lost  to  the  plant  roots  ? 

Of  course  no  weeds  or  grass  should  be  allowed 
to  grow  in  the  cornfield.  We  shall  have,  therefore, 
to  cultivate  as  many  times  as  is  necessary  to  destroy 
weeds  or  grass;  and  in  loose,  mellow  soils,  which 
are  not  likely  to  pack,  this  is  the  main  reason  for 
cultivating.   Such  soils  usually  have  sufficient  warmth 


THE  FIFTH  STEP  IN  CULTIVATION  213 

and  air.  They  take  in  water  well,  and  soil  tubes 
are  not  readily  formed.  Hence  such  soils  do  not 
need  as  frequent  cultivation  as  the  stiff  ones. 

Since  these  are  the  reasons  for  cultivation,  will  it 
not  follow  that  cultivation  is  needed  more  frequently 
when  the  corn  is  young  than  it  is  after  the  corn  is 
older?  After  the  corn  spreads  its  leaves  over  the 
rows,  weeds  do  not  grow  so  readily  and  there  is  not 
so  great  a  loss  of  soil  moisture.  We  must,  however, 
bear  in  mind  that  the  tasseling  and  silking  time  is 
always  a  trying  time  for  corn.  At  that  period  light 
cultivation  may  save  the  moisture  that  is  invaluable 
to  a  good  harvest. 

In  cultivating  your  corn  three  thoughts  should 
be  uppermost :  first,  to  make  a  bounteous  yield ; 
second,  to  do  this  at  the  smallest  cost;  third,  to 
save  all  possible  drudgery. 

Good  practical  machines  will  enable  you  to  do 
these  three  things.  Hence,  if  you  have  to  start  with 
few  machines,  save  in  every  way  until  you  can 
supply  your  farm  with  excellent  cultivating  tools 
and  implements. 

APPLYING  THE   LESSON 

1.  A  corn-grower  sat  on  his  fence  and  kept  crying  to  his  plow- 
men, who  were  cultivating  waist-high  corn,  "  Stick  those  plows  in 
the  ground."    What  do  you  think  of  his  order? 

2,  In  case  a  long  wet  spell  stops  your  cultivation  and  gives 
weeds  and  grass  such  a  growth  that  it  is  necessary  to  clear  the 
crop  with  a  plow,  how  would  you  set  the  plow  ? 


214 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


3.  A  plowman  who  cultivated  his  surface-planted  corn  as  deeply 
as  his  listed  corn  gathered  more  corn  from  his  listed  acres.  He 
therefore  decided  that  the  listing  method  was  the  better.  Did  his 
experience  prove  that  listing  is  the  best  method  ? 

4.  A  farmer  who  had  rich,  mellow  land,  full  of  humus,  bought 
a  disk  cultivator.    Did  he  make  a  wise  selection  ? 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Corn  will  germinate  sooner  and  more  regularly  if  the  seed  bed 
in  which  it  is  planted  is  harrowed.   ( 'an  you  tell  why  this  is  true .'' 

2.  Why  is  a  spike-tooth  harrow  better  than  a  weeder  for  the 
first  cultivation  of  stiff  lands  ? 

3.  Is  it  well  to  have  an)-  fixed  date  on  which  to  stop  cultivating 
corn  ? 

4.  \\'hy  is  it  generally  important  to  cultivate  upland  com  in  the 
South  to  a  later  period  of  growth  than  it  is  in  the  Northern  states? 

5.  Why  can  the  first  tilling  with  the  cultivator  be  deeper  than 
the  later  ones  ? 


CHAPTER  XVII 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


With  the  last  cultivation  of  corn  your  labor  on 
that  crop  ceases  until  harvest.  If,  however,  you 
live  in  a  climate  in 
which  summer  le- 
gumes thrive,  you 
should  plant  peas 
or  beans  in  your 
corn.  The  corn, 
of  course,  drew  ni- 
trogen from  the 
soil.  Will  not  a 
leguminous  crop 
restore  the  nitro- 
gen to  the  soil  by 
drawing  a  supply 
from  the  air?  Will 
not  such  a  crop 
furnish  food  for 
man  and  beast  in 

case  you  cut  it.?  Will  it  not  add  humus  to  the  soil 
if  you  turn  it  under?  A  stirring  farmer  who  knows 
that  his  success  depends  on  keeping  his  land  busy 
and  fertile  will  plant  as  many  legumes  as  possible. 

215 


Fig.  167. 


Soy  Beans  sown  at  Last 
Cultivation 


2l6 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


At  what  time  shall  you  begin  to  harvest  corn? 
The  first  illustration  in  this  book  shows  in  how 
many  different  states  corn  is  grown.  As  many  of 
these  states  differ  in  climate,  and  hence  in  the 
length  of  the  growing-season,  would  you  not  expect 
corn  to   ripen  at   different  times  in   these  states? 

Mustwe  not  note, 
first,  that  the  time 
of  harvesting  va- 
ries with  the  cli- 
mate ?  As  you 
know,  there  are 
early  and  late 
kinds  of  corn, 
and  therefore  the 
time  of  harvest- 
ing varies,  second, 
with  the  variety 
planted.  Note  in 
Fig.  169  how  marked  is  this  difference.  The  center 
rows  are  ripe;  the  outer  ones  are  still  growing.  If 
a  field  of  corn  has  been  well  cultivated  and  freely 
fed,  would  it  be  likely  to  ripen  earlier  or  later 
than  a  neighboring  field  which  had  been  neglected 
and  starved?  Hence,  does  not  the  time  of  harvest- 
ing vary,  third,  with  the  care  which  has  been  given 
the  crop  ?  Again,  would  you  think  that  moist  bot- 
tom lands  would  ripen  their  crops  as  soon  as  dry 
uplands?    Therefore,  fourth,  the  time  of  har\^esting. 


Fig.  168.  Crimsox  Clover  after  Corn 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


217 


varies  with  the  moisture  in  the  land.  Moreover, 
will  not  the  date  of  beginning  vary,  fifth,  with 
your  plans  for  harvesting  and  with  the  purpose 
for  which  you  harvest  your  crop  ?  If  you  are  going 
to  use  the  stalks  for  silage,  will  you  not  harvest 
earlier  than  if  you  are  to  save  only  the  ears? 


/    ' 

-r**,. 

'■^ 

i^- 

Ws. 

9^ 

H 

^^^  ^^^ 

i 

^^^ 

1 

1 

^'-'-^  *^-  rjB^^^i^..^  ;■ ,  :•  "^ 

Fig.  i6g.   Varieties  Ripening  at  Different  Times 

Can  we,  then,  with  so  many  changing  conditions 
fix  any  set  date  for  harvest  time?  Evidently,  no 
more  than  we  can  for  planting-time.  However,  we 
can  fix  a  period.  We  should  harv^est  at  such  time 
as  will  give  the  greatest  amount  of  good  food  in  the 
ear,  when  we  are  to  use  the  ears  alone,  or  at  such  a 
time  as  will  give  the  greatest  amount  of  good  food 
In  ear  and  stalk,  if  we  wish  to  harvest  both.  When 
will  this  be  ? 


2l8 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


If  you  are  to  use  the  corn  for  silage,  it  should  be 
cut  when  the  stalk  has  its  greatest  weight.  This 
will  be  when  the  ear  is  in  the  hard-dough,  or  glazed, 
state.  The  kernels  at  this  time  will  be  just  begin- 
ning to  dent.    If  the  corn  is  to  be  eaten  by  hogs  in 


Fig.  170.   Harvesting  by  Means  of  Hogs 


the  field,  the  ears  should  be  allowed  to  become  ripe 
before  the  hogs  are  turned  into  the  field.  When 
the  corn  is  to  be  harvested  for  the  ears  and  stover 
both,  it  should  be  allowed  to  stand  until  the  kernels 
are  rather  deeply  dented,  the  husks  are  dry  and 
brown,  and  before  many  of  the  leaves  below  the  ear 
have  turned  brown.  When  the  corn  is  to  be  har- 
vested for  ears  alone  the  longer  it  can  stand  in  the 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


219 


field  without  being  injured  by  rain,  frost,  and  cold 
the  richer  the  ears  will  be  in  food. 

There  are  six  ways  of  harvesting  corn :  first,  har- 
vesting by  means  of  hogs;  second,  harvesting  for 
silage ;  third,  harvesting  by  stripping  the  leaves  for 
fodder  and  later  gathering  the  corn ;  fourth,  harvest- 
ing by  cutting  the  tops  above  the  ears  for  fodder 
and  later  gathering 
the  corn ;  fifth,  har- 
vesting at  one  time 
for  both  ears  and 
stover;  sixth,  harvest- 
ing for  ears  alone,  and 
allowing  animals  to 
eat  what  they  will  of 
leaves  and  stalks. 

First,  "hogging,"  as 
it  is  called,  is  common 
in  many  sections.  Farmers  who  have  many  hogs 
turn  them  into  the  cornfields  to  fatten.  It  is  usual 
to  plant  some  other  crops,  like  rape,  rye,  pumpkins, 
peas,  or  beans,  with  the  corn.  The  hogs  generally 
strip  the  fields  clean. 

Second,  with  the  increase  in  dairying,  silos  are 
beginning  to  be  very  common,  and  a  much  greater 
area  is  every  year  being  planted  in  corn  for  these 
silos.  As  corn  has  been  raised  for  silage  in  only 
comparatively  recent  years,  this  subject  will  be 
treated  in  the  next  chapter. 


Fig.  171. 


Harvesting  both  Ears 
AND  Stalks 


220 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Third,  in  the  Southern  Corn  Belt  the  practice  of 
stripping  the  corn  leaves  for  forage  and  gathering 
the  ears  at  a  later  time  is  very  common.  As  is 
shown  in  Fig.  173,  the  leaves,  after  being  stripped, 
are  tied  to  the  stalks  to  dry.  After  they  are  dry 
they  are  bound  in  bundles  and  stored  for  forage. 


Fig.  172.    Rape  in  Corx 


Is  this  a  good  practice  ?  Would  it  not  be  wiser 
to  let  the  blades  remain  until  the  corn  is  ripe,  and 
then  cut  the  entire  stalk  ?  Eight  experiment  stations 
in  different  states  have  tested  the  effect  on  yield 
which  results  from  stripping  the  leaves  from  the 
growing  plant.  Each  of  these  stations  took  a  field 
that  was  uniform  in  soil  and  richness.  They  broke  the 
land  in  the  same  way,  planted  it  with  the  same  sort  of 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


221 


seed,  and  cultivated  it  in  the  same  way.  The  entire 
field  was  fertilized  with  the  same  kind  of  fertilizer. 
At  the  proper  time  half  of  the  stalks  were  stripped 
of  their  leaves.  The  leaves  on  the  other  half  were 
allowed  to  ripen  with  the  ears.  Then  the  yield  from 
the  stripped  stalks  and  the  yield  from  the  unstripped 
stalks  was  accurately 
weighed.  It  was  found 
that  the  yield  of  the 
stripped  stalks  was  at 
least  three  bushels 
less  than  the  yield 
from  the  unstripped 
stalks.  On  some  of 
the  fields  there  was 
even  a  greater  loss 
from  stripping.  In 
Chapter  V,  p.  54,  you 

learned  that  the  leaves  may  be  called  the  factory 
of  a  plant.  In  the  leaves  the  food  from  the  roots 
and  the  food  from  the  air  unite  to  form  the  food 
which  is  needed  by  all  parts  of  the  plant.  This  food 
is  greatly  needed  in  ripening  the  ear.  If  the  leaves 
are  stripped  from  the  corn  plant  before  its  growth 
is  finished,  how  can  they  form  this  food  for  the  ear? 
Is  not  the  ear  more  valuable  than  the  fodder?  Shall 
we  not,  then,  conclude  that  "  fodder  pulling  "  is  not 
only  hot  and  disagreeable  work  but  also  that  it  too 
greatly  decreases  the  yield  for  us  to  follow  it  ? 


Fig.  173. 


Stripping  Blades  before 
Harvesting  Corn 


222 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Fourth,  harvesting  by  cutting  the  tops  above  the 
ears  and  then  gathering  the  ears  later  is  also  a  costly 
method.  This  "  topping,"  as  it  is  called  (see  Fig.  1 74), 
injures  the  plant  in  the  same  way  that  the  stripping 


Fig.  174.    Cutting  Tops  and  stripping  Blades 

of  the  leaves  does,  and  considerably  lessens  the  yield. 
It  is  a  practice  that  should  always  be  avoided. 

Fifth,  harvesting  for  both  ears  and  stalk  (stover) 
at  the  same  time  is  far  more  usual  than  it  was 
formerly.  The  improvement  in  machines  for  cut- 
ting the  stalks  and  the  increasing  need  for  forage 
have  led  farmers  in  many  sections  to  adopt  this 
method.  When  you  harvest  in  this  manner  you 
save  leaves,  stalk,  shucks,  and  ears.    If  you  harvest 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


223 


too  late,  your  stover  will  lose  in  value.  Hence,  will 
you  not  have  to  watch  for  a  time  least  hurtful  to  ear 
and  to  stalk? 

This  time  is  found  when  the  kernels  are  fairly 
dented  and  the  husks  and  the  lowest  leaves  are  dry. 
Be  sure  to  be  ready  to  begin  cutting  as  soon  as  this 


Fig.  175.    Knives  for  cutting  Corn 

period  is  reached.  Stalks  left  standing  for  two  weeks 
after  this  stage  is  reached  lose  about  one  half  of 
their  feeding:  value.  After  the  stover  is  shocked  it 
should  not  be  left  too  long  in  the  field. 
There  are  three  methods  of  cutting  corn: 
First,  on  small  farms  or  in  sections  where  the 
stalks  are  very  large  and  heavy,  it  is  usually  cut  by 
hand.  For  hand  cutting,  sharpened  hoes  with  short 
handles  or  corn  knives  similar  to  those  shown  in 
Fig.  175  are  used.  To  save  walking,  the  cutters 
should  follow  the  plan  shown  in  Fig.  176.   Let  the 


224 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


cutter  begin  at  the  center  of  the  square  of  eight 
rows.  At  this  center,  marked  0,  he  ties  four  stalks 
together  to  serve  as  a  support  for  the  shock.  He 
then  cuts  stalk  i  and  follows  the  numbers  until  he 
has  cut  stalk  8.   These  eight  stalks  are  then  carried 

to  the  center,  and 
the  shock  is  be- 
gun. The  cutter 
then  cuts  stalk  9 
and  follows  the 
numbers  to  16, 
when  the  second 
addition  is  made 
to  the  shock.  He 
continues  to  fol- 
low the  numbers 
until  he  reaches 
60.  As  you  see, 
this  method  saves 
much  walking. 
Second,  much  corn  is  still  cut  by  what  is  known 
as  a  corn-sled.  The  first  form,  a  rude  implement, 
was  simply  a  sled  with  a  knife  in  front  for  cutting 
one  row  at  a  time.  Then  a  blade  was  put  on  each 
side  of  the  sled,  and  two  men  and  two  horses  cut 
two  rows  at  a  time.  The  labor  for  both  horses  and 
men  was  very  wear}'ing.  The  men,  mounted  on  the 
sled,  had  to  draw  the  corn  against  the  blades  and 
hold  it  until  an  armful  was  secured.    Finally,  wheels 


36 

37 

35 
38 

34 
39 

33 

28 

27 
26 
25 

58 
59 
60 

57 
56 
55 
54 

30 

29 

3 

4 

2 
5 
6 

1 
8 
7 

31   32 

0  ^   0 

0  ^  0 

23 
24 
17 

22 
21 

18 

40 
41 
42 
43 

20 
19 

46 

45 

44 

9 
10 
11 

16   15 

13 

14 

53 

48 

52 
49 

51 
50 

12 

47 

Fig.  176. 


Save  Steps  by  followinc; 
THIS  Diagram 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


225 


were  added  and  a  more  comfortable  machine  made. 
The  improved  corn-sled  is  shown  in  Fig.  177. 

Third,  where  corn  is  largely  grown  and  the  land 
is  level  enough,  a  corn-binder  and  harvester  is  used. 
This  machine  is  shown  in  Fig.  178.  It  cuts  and 
binds  the  stalks  into  bundles.  Then  the  bundles 
are  gathered  and  shocked  by  hand. 


Fig.  177.    Corx-Sled  with  Knives 

So  far  as  preserving  your  corn  is  concerned,  will 
it  make  any  difference  in  which  of  these  ways  you 
cut  it?  Will  not  the  way  in  which  you  shock  it, 
however,  make  a  great  difference  ?  There  are  some 
things  we  must  not  forget  in  shocking  our  corn. 

First,  the  shocks  should,  of  course,  be  so  set  up 
as  to  keep  out  rain. 

Second,  the  shocks  should  be  so  carefully  set  up 
that  they  will  not  fall  or  be  easily  blown  over.  They 
may   be    set    up    around    a   frame,   called    a  horse, 


Fig.  178.    CoRX-BiNDER 


Fig.  179.   A  Corn-Horse 


Fig.  i8o.    Device  for  tightening  Shocks 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP  227 

which  is  moved  after  the  shock  is  finished  and  used 
for  the  next  shock  (see  Fig.  179),  or  they  may  be 
grouped  around  several  uncut  stalks  which  are  tied 
together.  The  shock  should  be  securely  tied  near 
the  top  with  binder  twine. 

Third,  after  the  shocks  have  dried  for  about  ten 
days  the  shrinkage  of  the  stover  will  loosen  the 
binding.  This  should  be  promptly  tightened,  or  the 
shocks  may  fall.  The  device  shown  in  Fig.  180  is 
helpful  in  tying 
shocks  tightly. 

Fourth,  un- 
less the  climate 
is  dry  and  cool, 
do  not  make  the  shocks  very  large.  Of  course  the 
larger  the  shock  the  larger  amount  of  inside  stover 
it  will  protect  from  the  weather,  but  large  shocks 
dry  out  slowly  and  hence  are  more  likely  to  mold. 
Where  small  shocks  are  used  they  should  be  placed 
under  shelter  as  soon  as  they  are  thoroughly  dry. 

Fifth,  try  never  to  leave  your  shocks  too  long  in 
the  field.  Much,  rain  dissolves  from  the  stover  pala- 
table food  of  high  feeding  value.  It  also  leaves  the 
stover  dry,  brittle,  and  tasteless. 

Sixth,  set  your  shocks  in  straight  lines,  like  those 
in  Fig.  181,  and  at  a  good  distance  from  one  another. 
On  good  farms,  where  rotation  of  crops  is  the  rule, 
a  fall  crop  is  often  to  be  planted  on  the  corn  land. 
Hence  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  plow  almost  as 


22< 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


soon  as  the  corn  is  shocked.  If  the  shocks  are  in 
line  and  far  apart,  the}'  will  not  greatly  interfere 
with  the  plowing  and  seeding  of  fall  crops. 

There  are  three  common  ways  of  handling  the 
shocks  after  they  are  dry.  One  is  to  husk  the  corn 
at  the   shocks   and   haul   it   to  the  crib,  and  leave 


Fig.  i8i.    Set  Shocks  in  Straight  Rows 


the  stover  in  piles  for  cattle.  Another  is  to  haul  the 
shocked  corn  to  the  barn  lot.  There  the  ears  are 
husked  and  stored,  and  the  stover  is  either  put  in 
ricks  at  a  convenient  place  for  feeding,  or  is  stored 
under  a  roof.  In  both  of  these  ways  the  ears  are 
husked  by  hand  and  the  shucks  are  left  on  the 
stalk.  Husking  tools,  similar  to  the  ones  in  Fig.  182, 
are  used  to  save  the  busker's  hands.  A  still  better 
way,  where  the  cost  is  not  too  high,  is  to  run  the 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP 


229 


stover  through  a  shredding  machine.  Such  a  machine 
is  illustrated  in  Fig.   1S3.    The  shredder  removes 


Fig.  182.    Hl'skixg  Devices 


and  partly  husks  the  ears  and  tears  the  coarse  stalks 
to  pieces  for  stock  food  or  bedding.  The  shredded 
stover  is  blown   by  a  forced  draft   into  the  barn. 


Fig.  183.    HusKER  and  Shredder 

The  sixth  way  of  har\'esting  is  to  husk  the  ears 
from  the  standing  stalks.  In  this  method  only  the 
ears  are  hauled  to  the  place  of  storage.   The  stalks 


230 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


are  left  standing  and  must  be  cut  in  the  winter  or 
spring.  Unless  labor  is  very  scarce  at  harvest  time 
this  plan  is  wasteful.  The  stover  is  too  valuable  to 
be  lost.  In  harvesting  by  this  method  a  wagon  with 
sideboards  on  one  side,  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  184, 


Fig.  184.   Wagon  with  Sideboards 


is  usually  driven  along  the  rows.  The  buskers 
throw  the  ears  directly  into  the  wagon,  and  should 
load  one  wagon  while  another  is  making  a  trip  to 
the  crib. 

In  addition  to  these  regular  ways  of  harvesting, 
corn  is  sometimes  grown  and  harvested  for  seed. 
When  corn  is  grown  only  for  seed,  the  stalk  and  ear 
should  ripen  undisturbed,  and  both  should  reach 
perfect  maturity. 


HARVESTING  THE  CROP  2^.1 


POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 


1.  If  you  are  anxious  to  get  early  roasting  ears  on  the  market, 
would  you  ever  plant  on  poor  land  ? 

2.  Boone  County  White  is  a  large  variety  of  corn.  Iowa  Silver 
Mine  is  small.    Which  of  these  varieties  would  usually  ripen  first  ? 

3.  Why  should  corn  grown  for  silage  be  cut  earlier  than  corn 
grown  for  stover  ? 

4.  If  you  have  only  a  few  hogs,  should  you  ever  harvest  by 
hogging  ?  Why  should  other  crops  be  planted  with  corn  when 
you  intend  to  "  hog  "  corn  ? 

5.  Why  should  silage  corn  be  planted  near  the  barn  ? 

6.  How  big  ought  a  corn  farm  to  be  before  a  man  should  buy 
a  binder .'' 

7.  In  what  way  are  leaves  a  factory  ? 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
CORN  SILAGE 

The  storing  of  green  fodder  in  a  silo  seems  to 
have  been  suggested  by  a  very  old  custom  of  stor- 
ing grain  in  pits.  After  the  grain  was  stored,  it  was 
covered  with  straw.  Then  the  top  was  walled  over 
with  cement  and  stone.  In  Egypt  more  lasting 
rooms  were  built.  They  were  air-tight  and  filled 
from  an  opening  in  the  top.  The  opening  was  sealed 
after  the  storage  space  was  filled.  This  method  was 
adopted  to  preserve  grain  against  a  time  of  drought. 

The  Italians  seem  to  have  been  the  first  to  store 
green  food  in  pits.  As  early  as  1786  it  is  said  that 
they  preserved  leaves  for  cattle  in  casks  and  pits. 
In  1843  an  Englishman  writes  that  in  German)^  he 
had  seen  green  clover,  grass,  and  vetch  stored  in 
pits.  The  green  food  was  placed  in  pits  which  were 
ten  or  twelve  feet  square.  Salt  was  scattered  over 
the  silage  as  it  was  packed,  then  the  pit  was  covered 
with  close-fitting  boards,  and  earth  was  piled  over  the 
boards  so  as  to  keep  out  air. 

A  man  named  Samuel  Johnson  introduced  the 
custom  into  England.  He  found  that  after  the  green 
food  had  fermented  it  kept  well  and  was  greedily 
eaten  bv  cattle.    The  first  recorded  silos  in  America 


CORN  SILAGE  233 

were  built  only  a  year  apart.  Manly  Miles  of  Michi- 
gan built  one  in  1875,  and  Francis  Morris  of 
Maryland  built  the  other  in   1876. 

The  silo  came  to  America  just  as  there  was  a 
remarkable  increase  in  dairying.  Hence  dairymen 
were  seeking  food  for  their  animals  that  would  add 
to  the  flow  of  milk.  The  new  food  proved  com- 
paratively cheap  and  healthful,  was  easily  fed,  and 
greatly  increased  the  quantity  of  milk  given.  Silage, 
therefore,  met  the  needs  of  the  dairymen,  and  since 
that  time  thousands  of  silos  have  been  built.  Experi- 
ments later  showed  that  corn  was  the  cheapest  and 
most  satisfactory  material  for  silage,  and  large  areas 
are  now  planted  for  silage  alone. 

How  much  silage  should  be  grown  on  an  acre  of 
land.f*  Will  this  not,  like  any  other  crop,  vary  with 
the  richness  of  the  land  ?  Experiments  have  shown 
that  the  amount  grown  on  an  acre  will  be  in  propor- 
tion to  the  number  of  bushels  of  corn  that  the  land 
yields.  Land  that  produces  thirty  bushels  to  an 
acre  ought  to  yield  six  tons  of  silage.  Land  that 
grows  forty  bushels  should  yield  eight  tons,  and  for 
each  additional  ten  bushels  there  should  be  an 
increase  of  two  tons. 

For  what  reasons  is  silage  so  prized  as  an  addition 
to  farm  foods  ? 

First,  a  large  amount  of  food  can  be  packed  into 
a  comparatively  small  space.  In  addition,  as  the 
animals  eat  all  of  the  stalk,  there  is  no  waste. 


234      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

Second,  silage  is  not  only  enjoyed  by  farm  animals, 
but  it  keeps  them  in  good  health  and  improves 
their  looks.  It  furnishes  them  with  the  same  appe- 
tizing and  nourishing  food  that  they  get  from  a 
summer  pasture. 

Third,  feeding  animals  in  the  winter  is  cold  and 
disagreeable  work.  Every  farmer  wants  to  lessen 
drudgery.  Silage  is  a  clean,  convenient,  and  easily 
handled  food. 

Fourth,  silage  increases  the  flow  of  milk  of  a 
dairy  herd.  At  the  New  Jersey  Experiment  Station 
a  group  of  eight  cows  was  tested  for  milk  produc- 
tion. The  cows  were  fed  on  stover  from  a  certain 
number  of  acres,  and  the  amount  of  milk  produced 
on  this  food  was  carefully  weighed.  They  were  then 
fed  on  silage  from  the  same  number  of  acres.  After 
the  food  was  changed  to  silage  the  cows  increased 
the  amount  of  milk  given  128  per  cent.  The  butter 
fat  in  the  milk  of  these  cows  increased  10  per  cent. 
There  was  very  little  difference  in  the  cost  of  the 
two  foods.  Similar  experiments  at  other  places 
have  shown  an  equally  large  increase  in  the  flow 
of  milk. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  must  remember  that  silage 
is  not  a  cheap  crop  to  grow,  and  that  the  labor  of 
filling  a  silo  is  great.  Happily,  as  seen  in  Fig.  185, 
much  of  this  labor  is  done  by  machinery.  The 
cutter  is  driven  by  power,  and  the  silage  is  hoisted 
into  the  silo  by  an  elevator.    Still  the  cutter  must 


Fig.  185.   Filling  the  Silo 


236      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

be  fed  by  hand  and  the  silage  must  be  packed  by 
treading,  and  if  too  dry  must  be  wet  as  it  is  packed. 

Before  planting  a  silage  crop  should  you  not  plan 
to  lessen  labor  and  expense  ?  Since  the  corn  is  cut 
and  hauled  when  it  is  very  heavy,  would  you  not  re- 
duce expenses  by  having  your  silage  fields  near  the 
silo?  As  you  do  not  expect  the  corn  to  ripen  its 
ears,  can  you  not  plant  your  silage  corn  thicker  than 
your  other  corn  ?  Would  this  thicker  planting  not 
give  you  more  stalks  to  be  cut  into  silage  ?  Would 
you,  with  a  \'iew  to  sa\ing  labor  and  saving  your 
machines,  not  select  level  fields  for  your  silage  corn? 

Preparation  of  land  for  silage  corn  does  not  differ 
from  the  preparation  for  the  regular  crop.  W^ill  you 
not  need  the  same  deep,  well-tilled  seed  bed  ?  Shall 
vou  not  have  to  keep  the  weeds  killed  and  a  dry 
mulch  on  your  soil?  As  silage  corn  is  to  be  cut 
before  it  matures,  can  you  not  wait  tO  plant  this  corn 
until  the  labor  of  planting  the  main  corn  crop  is 
finished  ?  About  how  much  seed  to  the  acre  should 
be  planted  for  silage  ?  Experiments  seem  to  prove 
that  from  one  fourth  to  one  third  more  than  for 
other  corn  is  the  best  amount.  Since  the  corn  is  to 
grow  thick  on  the  soil,  would  it  not  be  wise  to  put 
the  rows  a  little  farther  apart  than  is  done  for  your 
main  corn  crop  ? 

In  deciding  when  to  cut  your  silage  corn  you  will 
have  to  put  to  yourself  two  questions.  These  are, 
Is  the  corn  green  enough  to  cut?    Is  the  corn  dry 


CORN  SILAGE  237 

enough  to  out?  If  it  is  too  green  at  cutting  time, 
you  lose  in  food  value,  and  the  silage  is  so  sour 
that  animals  do  not  like  it ;  if  it  is  too  dry,  there 
is  a  loss  in  weight  and  feeding  value,  and  the  silage 
will  be  difficult  to  pack  and  preserve.  The  time 
most  favorable  for  cutting  is  when  the  ears  are  in 
the  hard-dough  state.  At  this  time  the  kernels  are 
just  becoming  dented  and  the  lower  leaves  dry  and 
brown.  The  crop  may  be  harvested  later,  provided 
frost  has  not  injured  it  and  provided  that  the  silage 
is  watered  while  it  is  being  put  into  the  silo.  It 
will  not  pack  if  it  is  too  dry,  and  packing  is  necessary 
to  keep  out  air.  If  air  gets  into  the  silage,  the  green 
material  first  molds  and  then  rots. 

If  some  of  your  corn  is  rather  dry  at  cutting  time, 
would  it  not  be  well  to  cut  this  first  and  pack  it  at 
the  bottom  of  the  silo?  Why?  When  would  you 
water  all  the  silage  as  it  goes  into  a  silo  ? 

Should  every  farmer  have  a  silo?  Not  unless  he 
has  at  least  ten  cows  to  feed.  The  expense  of  build- 
ing a  silo  and  of  buying  the  machinery  needed  to 
fill  it  is  too  great  for  feeding  a  small  herd. 

APPLYING  THE    LESSON 

1.  If  a  field  yields  fifty  bushels  of  corn  to  an  acre,  how  many 
tons  of  silage  should  it  produce  ? 

2.  An  average  Jersey  cow  is  fed  about  thirty  pounds  of  silage 
a  day.  How  long  will  a  silo  holding  one  hundred  tons  feed  ten 
such  cows  at  the  same  rate  of  feeding  ? 


238      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

3.  Silage  must  be  packed  well  to  preserve  it.  Should  you,  then, 
set  your  machine  to  cut  the  stalks  in  short  lengths,  say  from  one- 
half  to  one  inch,  or  in  longer  lengths,  say  three  or  four  inches  ? 

4.  Two  brothers,  who  each  have  a  fine  calf,  are  preparing  these 
calves  for  a  January  calf  show.  One  is  feeding  his  calf  on  stover 
for  roughage.  The  other  is  feeding  silage.  Which  is  most  likely 
to  win  the  blue  ribbon .'' 

6.  If  a  cow  were  giving  two  gallons  of  milk  a  day  and  a 
silage  ration  increased  her  milk  128  per  cent,  how  much  milk 
would  she  yield  ? 

'  POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  \\'hy  is  it  necessary  to  water  silage  if  the  corn  is  dry  ? 

2.  Would  it  be  economical  to  begin  feeding  silage  early  in  the  fall .'' 

3.  You  have  noticed  how  stock  improves  on  a  summer  pasture. 
Is  silage  the  same  sort  of  food  that  is  enjoyed  in  the  pasture  ? 

4.  A  man  who  was  not  used  to  silos  built  a  wooden  one.  Fear- 
ing that  water  would  injure  his  silage,  he  bored  auger  holes  in 
each  side  near  the  bottom  to  drain  the  silo.    Was  this  wise  ? 

5.  A  man  who  wanted  to  plant  twenty  acres  in  silage  corn 
selected  a  broken  field  over  a  mile  from  his  silo.  What  mistakes 
did  he  make  ? 


CHAPTER  XIX 

STORING  THE  EARS 

The  ears  for  which  you  have  worked  all  summer 
are  now  ready  for  storage.  Surely,  after  your  labor 
and  your  outlay  in  producing  them,  you  will  not  be 
careless  about  their  storage.  How  shall  you  store 
the  ears  so  that  not  one  shall  be  lost  from  neglect? 
If  your  mind  suggests  clear  answers  to  the  following 
questions,  your  corn  will  be  properly  housed : 

First,  should  corn  ever  be  stored  before  it  is  fully 
matured  and  thoroughly  dried  ? 

Second,  should  air  not  circulate  through  your  crib  ? 

Third,  should  the  crib  not  be  so  built  and  kept  in 
repair  as  to  keep  moisture  from  the  corn?  To  this 
end,  how  far  over  the  front  and  rear  of  the  crib 
should  the  gables  extend  ?  Should  the  roof  come 
well  down  over  the  sides?  Can  you  afford  to  have 
even  a  small  leak  in  the  roof? 

Fourth,  shall  you  store  the  corn  in  the  ear  or 
after  it  has  been  shelled? 

Fifth,  if  weevils  or  mice  are  troublesome  would  it 
be  best  to  store  your  ears  without  husking  them  ? 

Sixth,  since  mice,  rats,  and  birds  devour  much 
corn,  should  you  not  line  your  crib  with  wire  netting 
and  take  any  other  needful  steps  to  keep  them  out  ? 

239 


240 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


-Seventh,  should  you  not  take  care  that  your  corn 
is  so  dry  when  it  is  gathered  and  kept  so  dry  in  the 
crib  that  it  cannot  freeze? 

To  give  free  passage  for  air,  to  keep  out  mice, 
rats,  and  birds,  and  to  keep  the  corn  perfectly  dry, 


Fl(..    I.M..     L-iwI.   WITH    l'K()JL(_TlX(j    R(JU1 


ventilated  sheet  iron  cribs  with  wide  gables  and  pro- 
jecting roofs  are  easily  built.  If  such  a  crib  is  set 
on  protected  piers,  it  makes  an  excellent  storage 
house.  Wooden  cribs  which  are  well  aired,  lined 
with  wire  netting,  and  set  on  rat-proof  piers  pre- 
serve the  corn  equally  well.  It  is  often  convenient 
to  know  how  to  calculate  the  amount  of  shelled 
corn  that  the  ears  stored  in  a  crib  will  measure. 
To   get   this   amount,   if  the  crib   is   full,  multiply 


STORING  THE  EARS  24 1 

together  the  number  of  feet  in  the  height,  width, 
and  depth  of  the  crib.  Then  divide  the  number  re- 
sulting from  the  two  multipHcations  by  2.50,  which 
is  the  number  of  cubic  feet  of  corn  on  the  ear  that 
will  make  one  bushel  of  shelled  corn.  The  quotient 
will  be  the  number  of  shelled  bushels  sought.    . 

No  matter  how  prudently  you  store  your  corn 
there  will  always  be  a  shrinkage  in  weight  after  it 
is  stored.  Even  fairly  dry  corn,  housed  with  the 
utmost  care,  will  shrink  from  5  to  15  per  cent. 
This  loss,  of  course,  is  due  to  the  evaporation  of 
moisture  from  the  cob  and  kernels.  The  amount  of 
moisture  lost  will  vary  with  the  dryness  of  the  corn 
at  gathering  time,  and  the  weather  conditions  fol- 
lowing the  harvest.  If  the  fall  is  wet,  there  will  be 
little  loss  of  moisture,  and  hence  not  much  loss  in 
weight.  If  the  fall  is  very  dry,  however,  there  will 
be  a  steady  loss  in  weight.  The  greatest  shrinkage 
is  in  November,  just  after  the  harvest;  the  next 
greatest  shrinkage  is  in  April  and  in  May,  when 
spring  warmth  hastens  the  drying  out. 

POINTS   FOR  THOUGHT 

1.  Should  you  gather  and  store  your  corn  just  after  a  rain  ? 

2.  Why  should  air  circulate  through  a  crib  ? 

3.  In  case  you  have  many  weevils  in  your  crib  w^ould  you  husk 
your  com  before  you  stored  it  ? 

4.  If  a  crib  is  thirty  feet  long,  twenty  feet  wide,  and  ten  feet 
high,  how  many  bushels  of  corn  will  it  hold  ? 


242      CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 

5.  Suppose  the  amount  of  corn  stored  in  the  crib  which  you 
have  just  calculated  lost  5  per  cent  in  weight  from  shrinkage, 
how  much  in  pounds  would  the  total  loss  from  shrinkage  be  — 
counting  one  bushel  of  eared  corn  at  seventy-six  pounds  ? 

6.  What  changes  in  your  home  crib  can  you  make  to  protect 
it  from  mice  and  rats  ? 


INDEX 


Africa,  corn  in,  i 
Alexander,  Corbett,  25 
America,  corn  in,  1,9,  10 
Asia,  wheat  and  oats  in,  g 

Bag  for  seed  corn,  105 
Barren  stalks,  57,  58,  75,  76 

prevention  of,  76 
Blades,  4 

Boys'  corn  clubs,  7,  12,  76 
Breeding  patch,  109-112 
Butts  and  tips,  34,  35,  65,  84,  85, 

93.  138 
Butting  and  tipping,  device  for,  197 
Buying  seed,  63,  64,  65,  66,  94,  95 

Cartier,  Jacques,  9 

Check-row  method  of  planting,  no, 

198-200 
Chit,  32 
Circles,     showing     production     by 

states,  5 
Clean-culture  crop,  15S-160 
Climate,  for  corn,  17 

effect  of,  on  date  of  harvesting, 
71,  216,  217 
Clover,  153-158,  160 

cut  for  hay,  157,  158 

danger  in  turning  under,  157 

for  silage,  232 

turned  under,  157,  158 
Cob,  40,  41,  57,  58,  59,  60,  85,  91,  92 

color  of,  86,  87 

size  of,  88,  89 

uses  of,  4 


Columbus,  Christopher,  g 

Corn,  affected  by  temperature,  23 

after  corn,  158-160 

after  tobacco,  160 

Bible  use  of  word,  9 

dent,  33-36,  41-43.  59 

description  of,  by  Pilgrim  writer, 

14 

distribution  of  rainfall  affecting, 

21-23 
earliest  description  of,  10-12 
earliest  picture  of,  10 
flint,  35-36,  40-42,  59 
flowers  of,  56 

growing-days  of,  by  states,  27,  28 
growth  of,  in  South  Africa,  23 
home  of,  9,  17 
ideal  season  for,  22 
importance  of,  to  colonists,  13 
importance     of,     to     Jamestown 

colony,  10 
importance  of,  to  Puritans,  10 
legumes  increase  yield  of,  1 53-1 58 
length  of  growing-season  of,  27-29 
man's  work  for,  61 
map  showing  yield  of,  by  states,  5 
measuring,  in  crib,  8 
moisture  in,  t  1 5 
nature's  work  for,  61 
planted  on  stubble,  150-158 
pod,  31,  33,  39 

pop,  31-33'  37-39,  41,43,  59 
price  of,  per  bushel,  6 
rainfall  required  for,  19-21 
seed  of,  sent  to  Old  World,  1 5 


243 


244 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Corn,  soft,  33,  39 

soil  for,  140 

sweet,  33,  36,  37 

time  required  to  ripen,  19,  27-29 

water  needed  per  bushel,  19 

world's  supply  of,  6 

yield  of,  per  acre,  7 
Corn  Belt,  7, 24-28, 185, 199, 200,  220 

limits  of,  7 

states  comprising,  23 

temperature  of,  23,  24 
Corn-binder,  225,  226 
Corn  crib,  calculating  contents  of, 
240,  241 

for  seed  ears,  239-241 

rat-proofing  of,  239-240 

ventilation  of,  240,  241 
Corn  crop,  bushels  exported,  3 

bushels  grown  in  United  States,  i 

bushels  manufactured  into  starch, 
sirup,  and  sugar,  3 

climate  for,  17 

doubling  of,  7 

extent  of,  i 

forms  in  which  used,  3 

history  of,  9 

importance  of,  i 

map     showing      production     by 
states,  5 

treatment  of,  i 

uses  of,  3,  4 

varying  elevation  affecting,  17-19 

wagons  needed  to  haul,  2 
Corn  farm,  buying  of,  17-29 
Corn-horse,  225-227 
Corn  oil,  uses  of,  3 
Corn-planter,  46,  183,  186,  196,  198 
Corn  production,  possibilities  in  the 
North,  24,  26-28 

possibilities  in  the  South,  24, 26, 27 
Corn  roots,  spread  of,  209-211 


Corn  sirup,  3 
Corn-sled,  224,  225 
Cotton,  home  of,  9 
Cotton  Belt,  7,  185 
Cover  crops,  154,  155 
Cowpeas,  153-155,  159 
Cultivation,  depth  of,  209-211 

fifth  step,  203 

first  step,  1 50 

fourth  step,  182 

objects  in  view,  213 

reasons  for,  210,  211,  213 

second  step,  163 

third  step,  175 

times  needed,  55,  211-213 

time  to  start  on  young  crop,  209, 
212,  213 

too  deep,  210,  211 
Cultivator,  204,  205 

disk,  207,  208 

kind  to  select,  206-209 

lister,  205,  206 

single,  206 

spring-tooth,  208 

two-row,  206,  207 
Cutting   corn,   diagram   for   saving 
steps  in,  223,  224 

methods  of,  222-225 

Dent  corn,  31-36,  42,  43 

number  of  ears  to  stalk,  59 

why  a  favorite,  41-43 
Dextrin,  uses  of,  4 
Disking,  1 51-153,  158.  178,  i79 

advantages  of  spring,  179,  180 

benefits  of,  1 51-153 
Drainage,  186-189 
Drake,  Z.  V.,  140 

Ears,  butts  of,  84,  85 
change  of  height,  70-73 


INDEX 


245 


Ears,  color  of  cobs,  86,  87 

color  of  kernels,  86,  87 

favored,  94,  97,  99,  loi,  no 

girth  of,  83,  84 

height  of,  69-72 

heredity  of,  63,  64,  94 

kinds  to  select,  97,  98 

length  of,  S3,  84 

number  needed  to  plant  an  acre,  99 

number  of  rows  of  kernels  on,  59 

number  of,  to  stalk,  78-80 

partly  filled,  57,  58 

qualities  of,  81,  82 

race  qualities  of,  40,  41 

ripening  time  of,  72,  73 

shanks  of,  74,  75 

space  between  rows  of  kernels  on, 
85,  86 

storage  of,  239 

storehouse  of  the  plant,  53 

tips  of,  84,  85 

ways  to  house,  239,  240 
Elevation,  effect  of,  on  corn,  17 

effect  of,  on  length  of  growing- 
season,  18,  19 

influence  of,  on  maturity,  18 
Endosperm,  3,  4,  34-38,  46,  48,  49 

basis  of  classification,  33 

color  of,  8 

defined,  33 

products  of,  4 

Farm,  choice  of,  for  growing  corn, 
17-29 

Ferdinand,  King,  9 

Fertilizer,  fish  used  as,  ic,  14,  16 

Fining  the  soil,  49 

Flint  corn,  31,  33,  35,  36,  40-42 
adapted  to  cold  climates,  42 
number  of  ears  of,  to  stalk,  59 
size  of  crop  of,  41 


Flowers,  55-57 

Fodder  pulling,  54,  219-222 

Food,  from  air,  52,  53 

from  soil,  52,  53 
Fursman,  E.  S.,  140 

Germ,  3,  31,  32,  46,  49 

color  of,  8 

foes  of,  113,  114 

importance  of,  113 

products  of,  3 
Germination,  182,  195 
Germination  box,  cover  cloth  for,  127 

covering  of,  128 

packing  sawdust  in,  128 

placing  kernels  in,  127 

preparation  of,  126 

raising  sides  of,  128,  131 

removing  kernels  for,  127 

section  of,  133,  137 

top  cloth  for,  128 

top  cloth  removed  from,  132 
Germination  tests,  121 

reading  of,  132,  137 

waiting  for  results  of,  131,  132 
Gluten,  32,  33,  46 
Grass,  for  silage,  232 
Growing-season,     length     of,     for 

several  states,  27-29,  71,  184-186 

Hall,  Sherman,  6 
Harlot,  Thomas,  11,  12 
Harrow,  cutaway,  171 

disk,  151,  157,  158,  178 

setting  of,  for  young  corn,  204,  205 

smoothing,  178,  i8o 

spike-tooth,  204 

spring-tooth,  206 
Harrowing,  49,  170,  178-180 

advantages  of,  for  young  plants, 
204,  205 


246 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Harrowing,  advantages  of  spring, 
179,  180 

moisture  loss  lessened  by,  156 
Harvesting,  215 

for  ears  alone,  218,  219,  229,  230 

for  ears  and  stover,  218,  219 

effect  of  variety  on,  216,  217 

by  hogs,  218,  219 

for  seed  alone,  230 

for  silage,  217-219 

stage  of  maturity  for,  218 

for  stover,  218-219 

time  to  begin,  216-218 

wagons  for,  230 

ways  of,  219-223 
Heredity,  63-67,  70,  94 
Hogging,  219 
Hull,  3 
Humus,  140,  155,  157-160,  167,  16S, 

172,  179,  208,  215 
Husker  and  shredder,  229 
Husking,  device  for,  229 
Husks,  42,  58 

products  of,  4 

uses  of,  74 

Indians,  clearing  cornland  by  fire, 
15,  16 

cooking  corn,  11,12 

crushing  grains,  13 

using  fish  as  a  fertilizer,  10,  14,  16 
Isabella,  Queen,  9 

Jamestown,  10,  13 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  163 
Johnson,  Samuel,  232 
Joseph,  9 

Kernels,  48,  56,  57 

basis  of  race  division,  31 
color  of,  86,  87 


Kernels,  growth  of,  49 

inspection  of,  123,  124 

numberof,forgerminationtest,i24 

number  of,  to  ear,  59 

number  of,  varies  with  kinds,  59 

parts  of,  32 

planting  of,  46 

power  of,  to  sprout,  92 

qualities  of  best,  92 

qualities  of  good,  1 21-123 

race  qualities  of,  39,  40 

shape  of,  32,  89-92 

size  of,  89-92 

space  between,  85,  86 
Knives  for  cutting  corn,  223 

Lapping,  iSi 
Leaves,  68 

as  food  gatherers,  53 
Legumes,  160,  185 

between  corn  rows,  159,  160 

defined, 153 

effect  of  cutting,  for  hay,  155 

effect  of  turning  under,  155 

summer,  153-156,  215 

ways  in  which  crops  are  helped 
by,  153-158 

winter,  156-158 

winter,  following  summer,  1 54, 1 55 
Lister,  192-194 
Listing,  advantages  of,  194,  195 

methods  of,  192-195 

objections  to,  195 

Map,  showing  production  by  states,  5 
Manure,  158,  159 
Manure-spreader,  159 
Maturity,  effect  of  elevation  on,  18 
Methods  of  storing  seed  ears,  116- 

119 
"  Middle  buster,"  192 


INDEX 


247 


Miles,  Manly,  233 

Moisture,  effect  of,  on  planting,  200, 

2CI 

loss  of,  179 

lost  by  "steaming,"  156 

saving  of,  169,  170 

sufficiency  of,  for  large  growth,  19, 
198 
Morris,  Francis,  233 
Mulch,  156,  170,  211,  212 

Navajo  corn,  22 

Nodes,  58 

North,  corn  production  in,  24,  27,  28 

Nubbins,  75,  19S 

Oats,  150 

Oil,  from  corn,  3 

Parker,  Charles,  140,  141- 

Pith,  products  of,  4 

Plant,  conditions  for  growth  of,  45 

early  growth  of,  45 

first  food  of,  45 

functions  of  each  part  of,  53,  54 

the  growing,  45 

how  it  feeds,  32,  ^^^  52,  53,  67 

moisture  for,  45,  48,  49 

parts  of,  46 

seed  bed  for,  175 

warmth  for,  49 
Planting,  182-202 

in  accord  with  nature,  182-188 

check-row  method,  189,  190 

check-row,  seeds  to  each  check, 
199,  200 

depth  of,  200,  201 

distance  of  plants  in  row,  200 

distance  of  rows,  200 

in  drained  lands,  188-190 

drill-row  method,  190,  191 


Planting,     effect    of    warmth     on, 
183-186 

hand  method,  195,  196 

lister  method,  191-195 

in  poor  lands,  199,  200 

ridge  method,  199-201 

ridging  for  wet  lands,  186-189 

surface  method,  189,  191,  192 

time  for,  182-186 
Planter,  46 

check-row,  198 

double-row,  186 

hand, 196 

setting  of,  196 

single-row,  183 
Plow,  163 

early  forms  of,  163,  165 

inventors  of,  163 

modern  forms  of,  163,  165 
Plowing,  depth  of,  155,  171-1 73 

effect  of,  on  insects,  169 

effects  of,  on  soil,  169,  170 

fall,  167-172,  178 

ground  too  wet  for,  174 

reason  for,  163,  164 

schools  to  teach,  166 

spring,  156,  157,  167,  172 

suggestions  for  depth  of,  172,  173 

things  not  to  do  in  spring,  1 73, 174 

things  to  do  in  spring,  172 

what  it  does,  166 
Pod  corn,  31,  33,  39,  40 
Pollen,  56,  57,  72,  73,  100 
Pollination,  57,  58,  72,  73 

affected  by  height  of  stalk  and 
ear,  72 

affected  by  rainfall,  23 
Pop  corn,  31,  33,  37-38,  41.  43 

explanation  of  popping  of,  38 

number  of  ears  to  stalk,  59 

size  of  crop,  41 


248 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Pop  corn,  uses  of,  43 
Pop-corn  machines,  43 
Population  of  United  States,  4 
Portuguese  scatter  corn,  1 5 
Preparation  of  soil,  150-160 

advantages  of  early  breaking,  1 67- 
171,  173,  174 

benefits  of  disking,  151-153 

breaking  for  corn,  167,  168 
Prize  acre,  barren  spots  to  be  avoided 
in,  142,  143 

fields  to  select  for,  144,  146-148 

legumes  in,  147,  148 

poor  soil  avoided  in,  142,  143 

selection  of,  141-148 

trees  to  be  avoided  in,  144-146 

weeds  to  be  avoided  in,  144,  146 

wet  land  to  be  avoided  in,   142, 
144,  145 
Prize  ears,  61,  62 
Prolific  corn,  78-80,  108 

Races  of  corn,  31 
how  classified,  31 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  1 1 

Rainfall,  186-188,  192 

distribution  of,  in  Arizona,  20 
distribution  of,  in  Corn  Belt,  21 
distribution  of,  in  Georgia,  14 
distribution  of,  in  Iowa,  21 
effect  of,  on  pollination,  23 
effect  of,  on  soil,  212 
required  for  corn,  19 
at  silking  and  tasseling  time,  23 

Rape  in  corn,  220 

Ridging  wet  lands,  186-1 89 

Roanoke  Island,  11 

Root  hairs,  52,  53,  168 

Root  sprout,  49,  50 

Root  system,  50-52 

Roots,  spread  of,  55,  209-211 


Rose,  Alfred,  140 
Rotation  of  crops,  186 
Rows,  distance  apart,  196 
Rye,  150,  160 

Sap  current,  53 

Sawdust,  preparation  for  germina- 
tion test,  125,  126 

removing  excess  water  from,  126 
Sawdust  plan  of  testing  corn,  121 
School  children  in  America,  6 
Season,  ideal,  22 
Seed,  adaptation  of,  66,  67 

bagging  of,  138,  139 

buying  of,  63-65,  66,  94,  95 

care  of,  139 

crib  selection  of,  98 

ears  to  select  from,  97,  98 

effect  of  climate  on,  95 

effect  of  elevation  on,  65 

effect  of  soil  on,  95 

family  record  of,  97 

harvesting  of,  230 

home-grown,  65,  67,  94,  95 

improvement  of,  by  grower,  96- 
112 

labeling,  138,  139 

looks  of,  may  mislead,  93-95 

from  neighboring  farm,  95,  96 

selection  of,  from  field,  98-100 

showy  ears,  64 

stalks  to  select  from,  97-99 

stealing  a  neighbor's,  60 

storing,  113 

value  of  good,  62,  63 

ways  of  selecting,  63-67,  93 
Seed  bed,  175 

preparation  of,  176-180 
Seed  ears,  arranging,  for  germina- 
tion test,  121 

butting  and  tipping,  138 


INDEX 


249 


Seed  ears,  crib  for,  239-241 
drying  and  storing,  107,  108 
final  selection  of,  106-108 
foes  of,  239,  240 
how  injured,  113,  114 
how  improved,  62 
inspection  of,  123,  124 
manner  of  final  selection  of,  107, 

108 
markings  of,  61,  78 
method  of  gathering,  105,  106 
methods  of  storing,  116-119 
moisture  injurious  to,  107 
objections    to    row   selection    of, 

106-108 
one-eared  varieties  of,  loS,  109 
prolific  varieties  of,  108,  109 
shelling,  by  hand,  138,  139 
shrinkage  of,  241 
testing  of,  121 
time  of  gathering,  107 
unimproved,  62 

Seed  selection,  ear-to-row  method 
of,  109-112 
field  to  use  for,  100,  loi 
first  examination,  loi 
marking  selected  ears  in,  103 
notes  on,  68,  74,  76,  80,  89 
number  of  ears  to  select,  99,  100 
place  and  manner  of,  93 
plants  to  reject  in,  loi,  103 
second  examination,  104-106 
time  to  begin,  98,  100 

Shank,  58,  74 

Shocking  corn,  methods  of,  225-228 

Shocks,  228,  229 

device  for  tightening,  227 
handling  of,  228,  229 

Silage,  232,  237,  238 

amount  of,  per  acre,  233 
amount  of,  for  a  cow,  237 


Silage,  an  expensive  crop,  234 

history  of,  232,  233 

land  for,  233,  236 

packing  of,  236-23S 

plans  for  lessening  expense   of, 
236 

preparation  of  land  for,  236 

reasons  for  prizing,  233,  234 

seed  per  acre  for,  236 

time  to  harvest,  217-219 

watering  as  packed,  237 

when  to  cut,  236,  237 
Silk,  46,  54-57,  y^ 
Silo,  238 

in  America,  233 

filling  of,  234-236 

who  should  have,  237 
Smith,  John,  10 

Soil,  effect  of  freezing  and  thawing 
on,  168 

preparation  of.  49,  150-160 
Soil  for  corn,  140 
Soil  tubes,  157,  179,  212,  213 
South,  corn  production  in,  24,  26 
Soy  beans,  153-155,  159 
Spaces,  between  kernels,  83 

between  rows,  84 
Stalks,  barren,  57,  58,  75,  76 

distance  apart,  198,  199 

kinds  of,  to  select  seed  from,  97-99 

parts  of,  55 

products  of,  4 

qualities  of,  67 

varying  height  of,  70-72 
Stem  sprout,  52 
Starch,  3,  32 
Storage  house,  115 
Storage  of  seed  ears,  11 6-1 19,  239, 

240 
Storage  room,  113 
Stover,  218,  222,  223,  230 


250 


CORN  BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  FOLK 


Suckers,  43 

Sugar  cane,  home  of,  9 

Sweet    com,    31,    33,    36,    37,    40, 

41.  43 
uses  of,  43 

Tassel,  46,  54-56,  60,  73 

Temperature,  effect  of,  23,  24,  27- 
29 
of  Corn  Belt,  23,  24 

Tending  the  crop,  203-214 

Time  to  begin  harvesting,  216-2  iS 
varies  with  amount  of  moisture, 

216 
varies  with  care,  216,  217 
varies  with  climate,  216,  217 
varies  with  purpose,  217 
varies  with  varieties,  216,  217 

Tip  cap,  32 

Topping,  222 


United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, 4 

Vetch,  153 
for  silage,  232 

Water,  amount  of,  needed  for  growth 
of  corn,  60 

uses  of,  by  corn  plant,  55 
Webster,  Daniel,  163 
Weeder,  203,  204 
Weeds,  203,  204 
Wheat,  150 

home  of,  9 
White,  John,  10,  12 
Winter  wheat  states,  time  for  seed- 
ing in,  185 

Yield  per  acre,  average,  7 
effect  of  height  on,  70-72 


«' 


